Wishes pour in for Nobel laureate Abhijit

Political leaders across party lines on Monday congratulated Indian-origin economist and academic Professor Abhijit Banerjee for winning the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

Banerjee, his French-American wife Esther Duflo and American economist Michael Kremer were awarded the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”

“The research conducted by the 2019 Economic Sciences laureates has considerably improved our ability to fight global poverty. In just two decades, their new experiment-based approach has transformed development economics, which is now a flourishing field of research,” said a tweet from the official handle of the Nobel Prize committee.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and a host of other leaders congratulated Banerjee on winning the coveted prize.

“Their research has helped economists better understand how to fight poverty in India and the world,” Kovind said.

Prime Minister Modi said Banerjee has made notable contributions in the field of poverty alleviation. “Congratulations to Abhijit Banerjee on being conferred the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel,” Modi said. He also congratulated Duflo and Kremer for wining the prize.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was among the first leaders to congratulate the Kolkataborn economist, Abhijit Banerjee.

“Hearty congratulations to Abhijit Banerjee, an alumnus of South Point School & Presidency College Kolkata, for winning the Nobel Prize in Economics. Another Bengali has done the nation proud. We are overjoyed,” she tweeted.

Echoing similar sentiment, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the achievement as a “big day for every Indian”. “Big day for every Indian. Heartiest congratulations to eminent economist Abhijit Banerjee for being among the winners of this year’s Nobel prize for Economics. Work on poverty alleviation gets the highest endorsement,” the CM said.

Congress interim president, Sonia Gandhi also extended wishes to Banerjee, saying his “recognition as a noble laureate has delighted every Indian”.

“Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi has congratulated Indian origin Economist and Academic Prof. #AbhijitBanerjee, Prof. Esther Duflo and Prof. Michael Kramer upon receiving the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. His recognition as a noble laureate has delighted every Indian,” a tweet from the Congress party said.