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Abhijit Sen (Economist) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 15, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth18 November 1950

Age72 Years

BirthplaceJamshedpur, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India

ProfessionEconomist and Teacher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJayati Ghosh

FamilyDaughter - Jahnavi Sen; Father - Samar Sen; Brother - Pronab Sen

Abhijit Sen (Economist) Biography

Abhijit Sen (1950–2022) was an Indian economist and academic known for his work on agricultural policy, food security and rural development. He taught at J

Early life and background

Abhijit Sen was born on 18 November 1950 in Jamshedpur, then in Bihar (now in Jharkhand), and grew up to pursue higher education in the sciences and economics. He completed a Physics (Honours) degree before moving into economics, ultimately earning a PhD from Cambridge University. He later received an honorary doctorate from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya in recognition of his contributions to economic research.

Career

Sen combined an academic life with sustained policy engagement. Before joining Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 1985, he taught economics at several universities abroad, including Oxford, Sussex, Cambridge and Essex. At JNU he was part of a cohort of economists who helped build the university’s economics department into a notable centre for heterodox economic thought.

In public service, Sen held a number of influential roles related to agricultural policy and rural development. He served as chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) from 1997 to 2000. In that role he produced reports and recommendations on minimum support prices and on the institutional design of the commission. He also chaired a High-Level Committee of Experts on Long Term Grain Policy, and he submitted recommendations calling for changes to how the costs of production were calculated for the purpose of setting support prices.

Sen advised successive governments on food policy. He urged the adoption of a uniform central pricing approach for rice and wheat delivered through a universal Public Distribution System. His work on the PDS influenced later policy: elements of the PDS approach he recommended were incorporated into the 2013 National Food Security Act, which set highly subsidised prices for staple grains.

From 1999 to 2001 Sen was a member of the Expert Committee on Rural Credit under NABARD, and between 2000 and 2001 he served on the Prime Minister’s Task Force on the World Trade Organization. In 2004 he was appointed a member of the Planning Commission of India, a position he held until the commission was dissolved in 2014 and replaced by NITI Aayog. He also participated in an expert committee on the impact of commodity futures trading in India from 2007 to 2008.

Sen’s policy engagement extended beyond India. He acted as an adviser to several international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the OECD Development Centre, the UN University World Institute of Development Research, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Asian Development Bank.

Throughout his career he published extensively on agriculture, employment, economic reforms and poverty, authoring or co-authoring more than thirty research papers.

Public profile

Sen was recognised for his contributions with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, awarded in 2010. He also served on executive councils and boards of Indian academic and policy institutions, including roles connected to the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the University of Delhi, the University of Allahabad and the National Centre for Agricultural Policy. He was a member of the State Planning Boards of West Bengal and Tripura.

Personal life

Abhijit Sen was married to economist Jayati Ghosh. Their daughter, Jahnavi Sen, worked as a deputy editor at The Wire. His father, Samar Sen, was an economist; his brother, Pronab Sen, also pursued a career in economics and held senior statistical positions in India.

Sen’s outside interests included reading. He was known to smoke and drink. He owned a Hindustan Ambassador car and preferred char-grilled fish among his foods.

Death

Abhijit Sen died on 29 August 2022 in New Delhi after suffering a heart attack. He was 72 years old at the time of his death.
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Recent Work

Member, Planning Commission of India

Served as a member of the Planning Commission from 2004 until the body was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2014.

2004-2014
Chairman, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

Led the commission from 1997 to 2000, authoring reports on minimum support prices and agricultural pricing policy.

1997-2000
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Career Highlights

  1. Taught economics at JNU and earlier at Oxford, Sussex, Cambridge and Essex
  2. Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
  3. Member of the Planning Commission of India (2004–2014)
  4. Advised international organisations including UNDP, ILO, FAO and the Asian Development Bank
  5. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2010
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Abhijit Sen (Economist) born?

18 November 1950

What is Abhijit Sen (Economist) known for?

Economist and Teacher

What is Abhijit Sen (Economist)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Abhijit Sen (Economist) married to?

Jayati Ghosh