Patna-based social scientist and popular economist Shaibal Gupta passed away on Thursday.
Mr. Gupta founded the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) and was member-secretary of it since the beginning.
In 2016, the ADRI under his leadership had celebrated its 25-years of excellence with a programme attended by several world-famous academicians and scholars.
Mr. Gupta was so popular a social scientist that every visiting academician or journalist from across the world to Bihar ensured to drop in his office or residence located in Buddha Marg, near Gandhi Maidan, here for insights of issues related to their subject.
“He was accessible to journalists and visiting scholars even when he was on medication,” said a senior journalist who had visited his residence during the last Assembly election to understand the contours of the poll.
During the presentation of the State government’s last Economic Survey, the cancer-stricken scholar along with his team of ADRI, was present in the Assembly with oxygen pipes in his nose.
When this correspondent suggested him not to move around or speak to journalists in such a condition, he said, “The moment I stop speaking to you people or the visiting academicians I’ll stop breathing.”
Mr. Gupta had also been writing regular columns in mainstream national and regional publications on Bihar and socio-economic issues.
For political parties, the ADRI under Mr. Gupta’s pioneering leadership, has been of immense help and support in making the State’s Economic Reviews and policies.
Offering condolences, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said “his loss would always be remembered”.
Leaders of other political parties too mourned the death. The cremation will take place here on Friday.
