Ambedkar: An Economist Extraordinaire

by Narendra Jadhav

Ambedkar : An Economist Extraordinaire

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

Narendra Damodar Jadhav is an Indian economist, educationist, public policy expert, professor and writer in English, Marathi and Hindi. He is an expert on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Jadhav has been a Member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament. He previously served as member of the Planning Commission of India and the National Advisory Council. Prior to this, he worked as Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and headed economic research at the Reserve Bank of India.

Reviews

[Crystal John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ambedkar: An Economist Extraordinaire by Narendra Jadhav is a book that explores the economic thought of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, one of the most important figures in Indian history. Jadhav, an economist himself, provides a comprehensive overview of Ambedkar's economic ideas, from his early writings on the problem of the rupee to his later work on social justice and economic development.
The book is divided into three parts:
The first part provides an overview of Ambedkar's life and work.
The second part examines Ambedkar's economic ideas in detail.
The third part discusses the relevance of Ambedkar's economic thought to contemporary India.
Jadhav's book is well-researched and well-written. He provides a clear and concise overview of Ambedkar's economic thoughts The book is also very decipherable, and it is manageable to readers with no prior knowledge of economics.
One of the strengths of the book is Jadhav's ability to show how Ambedkar's economic ideas were influenced by his social and political thought. Ambedkar was a complex and multifaceted thinker, and his economic ideas cannot be understood in isolation from his other works. Jadhav does a good job of showing how Ambedkar's economic ideas were rooted in his commitment to social justice and his belief in the importance of economic development for the upliftment of the downtrodden.
Another strength of the book is Jadhav's discussion of the relevance of Ambedkar's economic thought to contemporary India. Ambedkar's ideas are still relevant today, and they can provide valuable insights into the challenges facing India's economy. Jadhav discusses how Ambedkar's ideas can be applied to issues such as poverty, inequality, and economic growth.
Overall, this book is an excellent one. It is rather sad that though Dr Ambedkar has done so much of thinking, reading, writing and researching enough credit is not given to his contribution. It is not only that he framed the Constitution of India (for which he is well known), but his contribution in the field of Economics is massive and versatile. He has contributed to the Institution of the RBI, A just tax structure (opposing the injustice in the existing one (as instituted by the British rulers) the Federal Structure in the country, Labour laws and has worked for the abolition of the zamindari and Khotwali and the Mahar Vatan systems in the country. In addition, he was totally against the caste system where the oppressed castes were exploited thoroughly and how this set up led to the economic retardation of the country - and so much more. He has also discussed the basis of the Lewis’ model much before Lewis - which every economics student studies (as Lewis’s model!!). In fact, Dr. Ambedkar has delved into fields of The Constitution, The Budget, Taxation, Monetary policy, Debt Policy, The Reserve Bank of India, The Indian Rupee, The Federal Structure, Labour Laws and Labour Welfare, Women, Employment, Public Works, Water Management, and Power. It is amazing to come across such an erudite scholar and the author of this book has done due justice the life and contribution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. It is a must read and I strongly recommend this book.