Lord Meghnad Desai, Indian-origin economist and House of Lords member, passes away at 84

Lord Meghnad Desai, the Indian-origin economist and a member of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, breathed his last on Tuesday. He was 84.

Born Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai in 1940 to middle-class parents in Vadodara, he grew up with two brothers and a sister in India, which, according to him, was “still shiny and new and filled with every kind of potential.” He is said to have matriculated at 14, before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ramnarain Ruia College, affiliated to the University of Mumbai. He then pursued a master’s degree in the same discipline from the University of Mumbai’s Department of Economics. However, he sought new academic challenges, and to that end, he won a scholarship to study at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, where he completed his PhD in Economics three years later. He subsequently moved to the UK.

Desai was a student of Marxian economics, political economy, monetary policy, and economic history. His research spans five decades in a wide range of topics, which include the impact of the private sector and the state on development and Marxian economics. He also authored many studies on Indian economic reforms and researched the effects of globalisation and liberalisation. Desai founded the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics (LSE), LSE’s Development Studies programme, and was one of the creators of the Human Development Index—an inclusive index that quantifies development.

In his memoir, Desai wrote that his political energy and ideas began to find focus as he participated in the student protests across the Western world in 1968–1969. Desai became an active member of the British Labour Party, where he acted as the Chairman between 1986 and 1992. Towards the end of his chairmanship, Desai was made life peer as Baron Desai of St. Clement Danes in the city of Westminster by Queen Elizabeth II. He quit the Labour Party after nearly five decades of association in 2020, citing antisemitism. He also stood for election for the position of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords in 2011, albeit unsuccessfully.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, in 2008. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Desai, as he took to X to mourn his passing. “Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties,” read his post on X. The PM also said that he would fondly recall the discussions he had with Desai, where he shared his valuable insights.