Bunker Roy listened to the village and the small town
Indian Express - Opinion · Published 11 November 2026 · Last updated
The passing of Sanjit Bunker Roy marks the loss of a pioneering social activist who championed rural self-reliance, grassroots education, and sustainable technology through the Barefoot College.
Key points
- Social activist, educator, and entrepreneur Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy passed away at the age of 81 at his home in Tilonia, Rajasthan.
- He moved to Tilonia in the early 1970s and established the Social Work Research Centre to focus on rural development.
- He founded the Barefoot College, which trained individuals including those who had never attended formal school in practical livelihood skills.
- The Barefoot College trained more than 3 million people for jobs in the modern world, as recognized by Time magazine in 2010.
- He trained 1,700 women solar engineers across 96 countries who became known internationally as solar mamas.
- He married Aruna Roy, an Indian Administrative Service officer who resigned from the civil service to engage in grassroots work in Rajasthan.
- Trainee Norti Bai utilized a custom Devanagari computer keyboard to map water resources and later became a village sarpanch.
- He received the Padma Shri in 1986, the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1985, and the Robert Hill Award in 2009 for his contributions.
Background
- In 1967, Bunker Roy worked in the famine-hit Palamu district of Bihar, an experience that inspired his lifelong commitment to rural welfare.
- In 1972, he relocated to Tilonia in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan to launch his developmental initiatives.
- Since 1974, young people trained by his institution have established 20 barefoot colleges across 16 Indian states.
Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: Indian Express - Opinion