Chairman of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies R. Radhakrishna, died on Friday at the age 79. He is survived by a son and a daughter. He was earlier Director of the Centre from 1985 to 1994 and took over as its chairman in July 2013. He continued in the position till date.
Professor Radhakrishna held several important positions — Chairman, Commission on Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural Development of AP (2015-16); Chairman, National Statistical Commission, Government of India (2009-12); Director/Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (2001- 07); Vice Chancellor, Andhra University (1998-2001); Member Secretary, Indian Council for Scientific and Social Research (1994-97); Director, CESS (1985-2004), Professor of Economics, University of Hyderabad (1980-85) Professor, Sardar Patel Institute of Social Economic Research (1973-80) and Visiting Fellow, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, U.K. (1976-77).
He served as an expert in numerous international organizations — Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, 1997; Management of Social Transformation (MOST), UNESCO, 2004 and UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific, 2005. He was a consultant to several international bodies, including International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, and the FAO.
Mr. Radhakrishna was an eminent development economist, well known academician and highly respected teacher. He successfully guided 25 doctoral students. He worked on several socially relevant areas, and made research contributions to Complete Demand Systems quantitative economics; and pioneering contributions to problems relating to poverty and well-being, agriculture and food security and rural development.
