Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 28
Noted social scientist and economist Shaibal Gupta (68) died here in a private hospital today evening.
Dr Gupta was ailing and admitted to the private hospital last month after his health condition deteriorated. He breathed his last in the hospital.
He is survived by his wife Dr Ushasi Sarkar, daughter of CPI leader Jagannath Sarkar and a daughter.
Dr Shaibal Gupta was a social scientist, Founder Member-Secretary of Asian Development Research Institute in Patna, Bihar. The Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) is a non-profit civil society organization, dedicated to social science research established in 1991.
He was also the director of the Centre for Economic Policy and Public Finance (CEPPF), which has been set up in ADRI by the Government of Bihar as a dedicated centre for research on public finance.
Best-known for his expertise on the politics and economics of Bihar, his research focused on the structure of the Bihar economy as well as on various development issues in Bihar with a political economy perspective. He had spent many years studying Bihar.
Dr Gupta was a member of the high-level Committee for Evolving a Composite Development Index for the States, headed by Raghuram Rajan (ex-RBI Governor). He had given his thoughtful note of dissent in the Committee report. Section of the media had praised views about the allegedly flawed Index developed by the Committee.
He had worked on various research projects with the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex; International Labour Organisation, World Bank and London School of Economics. He has held advisory positions in various committees. Dr Gupta was a director of the Andhra Bank until his term expired.
