Archive · 15 Jun 2025
New Book Examines South Asian Economists' Impact
A new book explores the lives of six South Asian economists who tried to help their countries grow.
These economists, like Amartya Sen and Manmohan Singh, studied in Cambridge, UK, where they believed the government should help the economy.
They focused on improving things like health and education, rather than just money.
The book talks about their different ideas and how they shaped the economy in places like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
It shows how they sometimes disagreed, and how they balanced economics with politics.
The book shares stories about their work and the impact they had.
Yale professor David Engerman wrote a book about six development economists from South Asia.
The book focuses on economists Amartya Sen, Manmohan Singh, Jagdish Bhagwati, Rehman Sobhan, Mahbub ul Haq, and Lal Jayawardene.
The economists were educated at Cambridge, UK, with a focus on state involvement in economic growth.
The book explores the economists' roles in their countries' economic policies and administrations.
The book offers insights into the professional lives of these economists and their differing views.
- Who
- David Engerman wrote the book about economists Amartya Sen, Manmohan Singh, Jagdish Bhagwati, Rehman Sobhan, Mahbub ul Haq, and Lal Jayawardene.
- What
- A book analyzing the lives and work of six development economists from South Asia.
- When
- Published on June 15, 2025.
- Where
- Focuses on economists from South Asia and their work.
- Why
- To tell the story of how these economists shaped economic policies in South Asian countries and their impact.
View on Role of the State
Different Approaches to Economic Policies
State Involvement
View on Role of the State
Favoring higher state investment in health, education, and other areas.
Different Approaches to Economic Policies
Some economists were unsure about assigning such a large role to the state.
- Author
- David Engerman
- Title
- Apostles of Development: Six Economists and the World They Made
- Subjects
- Amartya Sen, Manmohan Singh, Jagdish Bhagwati, Rehman Sobhan, Mahbub ul Haq, and Lal Jayawardene
- Publisher
- Penguin/Viking
- Price
- ₹1,300
- Published
- June 15, 2025
- Primary focus
- Development Economics