Professor Ranjit Gupta worked in the Centre for Management in Agriculture from 10th February 1975 to 31st August 1994.

Prof. Gupta earned his MA in Economics from Lucknow University in 1954. There, he worked as a Research Scholar and later, Research Director. Towards the end of his career, Prof. Gupta became an activist in the development sector. He worked with Jayaprakash Narayan in the Association of Voluntary Agencies for Development in Rural Development.

He worked with Prof. Ravi Matthai in setting up the Rural University Project in Jawaja, an area located in southern Rajasthan. Their work proved inspirational to dozens of IIMA graduates who studied rural development. Prof. Gupta was the Founder Secretary & Research Director of the Institute of Social Studies Trust in New Delhi. He worked as a Consultant at the Ford Foundation, New Delhi and was also the Faculty and Chairman of the Centre for Management at IIMA. Prof. Gupta was instrumental in the establishment of the Ravi J Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation. He was also Honorary Advisor and Founder of the TATA DHAN Academy in Madurai.

Prof. Gupta served as a member on many task forces and working groups appointed by the Indian Government. He was actively involved with the Planning Commission of India in the 1970s where he worked on several projects-Whole Village Development, National Commission on Agriculture, Command Area Development and Drought Prone Areas Development. He was also experienced in the art of institution building.

Prof. Gupta was a member of the Governing Body at the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal (1982-1994) and at IGNOU in New Delhi1(1986-1989). He was also Chairman of the Governing Body at Pradan in New Delhi (1988-1995). Prof. Gupta was a member on the Board of Trustees at the Institute of Social Studies Trust in New Delhi (1994-2000). In Bangalore, Prof. Gupta held the position of President at Sampark (1996-2002) and Trustee at CDL.

He authored, coauthored and edited several books, monographs and research papers. An eminent and distinguished development thinker of the nation, Prof. Gupta passed away in October 2008.

A collection of tributes to Prof. Ranjit Gupta was published in a newsletter brought out by the NGO Pradan in 2009 and is accessible on this link.

Date of Birth: August 28, 1934

Date of Death: October 31, 2008