Professor Thorat, a renowned scholar and economist, reflected on Dr. B.R.Ambedkar’s role in framing the Indian constitution. Dr. Thorat discussed the implementation of constitutional provisions in the context of Dalits in India and how Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of India’s constitution, ensured social equality as an intrinsic quality of the constitution.

Speaker’s Bio

Prof. Thorat was a Professor in Economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and was the Chairman of University Grants Commission and also the Indian Council of Social Research, India.

Prof. Thorat has received awards for Public Service for Marginalized groups, Minorities and Education: 1) Padmashree Award; 2) Mother Teresa International Award; 3) Dr. Ambedakar Chetna Award; 4) Bharat Shiromani Award; 5) Purushottam Award; and 6) Vidyalankara Award.

Prof. Thorat has done extensive research, published about 20 books and more than 100 papers on issues related to: excluded groups, socially inclusive growth, poverty, agricultural growth in dry agriculture, caste and economic discrimination, labour market discrimination, impact of economic discrimination on the poverty and marginalization, economic ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar, and higher education.