Indian economy on a shaky ground: Abhijit

Kolkata, Oct. 14: Indian American Abhijit Banerjee, who on Monday won the 2019 Nobel for Economics, said Indian economy is on a shaky ground.

The data currently available do not hold any assurance for the country’s economic revival anytime soon, he stated.

“Indian economy is on a shaky ground. After witnessing the present (growth) data, just can’t be sure about it (revival of economy in near future).

“In the last five-six years, at least we could witness some growth, but now that assurance is also gone,” Banerjee told a news channel from the US.

The 58-year-old, who bagged the coveted prize jointly with wife Esther Duflo and economist Michael Kremer for his “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”, said he never thought he would get a Nobel so early in his career.

“We have been working on the subject for the last 20 years. We tried offering solutions towards alleviation of poverty,” Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, as Kolkata celebrates city boy Abhijit Banerjee's Nobel glory, his classmate and school teacher remember the MIT professor to be introvert and unassuming in school, who showed sparks of brilliance from a tender age.

Sharmila Dey, Banerjee’s batchmate at South Point School, said she feels extremely proud to have shared the same class room in South Point during 1971-78.

“We were always impressed by the manner in which he used to solve problems in the mathematics class. Beyond academics, he took great interest in sports, especially football,” she said.

Banerjee’s maths teacher Dipali Sengupta recalled how the “introvert, unassuming boy” in Class 8 finished work in a trice. “He showed sparks of brilliance even at that tender age,” she said.

Asked if she was in touch with the Nobel laureate after his school days, the elderly lady replied in the negative. “I hope he still remembers his maths teacher in school,” Sengupta added with a smile.

Banerjee’s classmate and school teacher remember the MIT professor to be introvert and unassuming in school, who showed sparks of brilliance from a tender age.

Banerjee’s maths teacher recalled him as an “introvert, unassuming boy”