Charaiveti: An Academic’s Global Journey

In this seminar, Pranab Bardhan (Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at University of California, Berkeley) will discuss his new book, "Charaiveti: An Academic’s Global Journey".

About the Book

"The word 'charaiveti', from an ancient Sanskrit hymn, means 'keep moving', in search of self-realization. The leading Indian economist and public intellectual Pranab Bardhan invokes this in his moving narrative of a personal and professional journey.

From his beginnings in a poor neighbourhood in Kolkata and the idyllic days in Santiniketan, from being home-schooled by his father followed by a vigorous student life at Presidency College, Kolkata and in Cambridge University, England, Bardhan rose to become one of the foremost development economists in the world. After serving on the faculty of MIT, Indian Statistical Institute and Delhi School of Economics, he finally settled at the University of California, Berkeley. In the process, he interacted closely with the likes of James Meade, Joan Robinson, Paul Samuelson, Robert Solow, James Mirrlees, Joseph Stiglitz, George Akerlof, Jerry Cohen, Jon Elster, Amartya Sen, T.N. Srinivasan, K.N. Raj, Ashok Rudra, Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, Sukhamoy Chakravarty, Ashis Nandy and Romila Thapar.

In his memoir, he provides a fascinating account of his richly varied and widely travelled life, interwoven with thoughtful comments on politics and society both in India and abroad and on some major strands of international intellectual debates. These accounts are enlivened by a profusion of stories, anecdotes, and amusing incidents, and draw copiously from his interests in literature and films.

Witty, wise, and perceptive, Charaiveti is more than just a memoir-it is a sharp-eyed look at where we have been and where we may be headed, as seen through the lens of a remarkable life."

About the Seminar

Chair:
Vijayendra Rao, Lead Economist, Development Research Group

Speaker:
Pranab Bardhan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Discussants:
John Giles, Lead Economist, Development Research Group
S Anukriti, Senior Economist, Development Research Group