B. Seshadri, development economist and member of the Dr. Nanjundaappa Committee on redressing regional imbalances, died here on Thursday night following a prolonged illness. He was 80.
He was a recipient of the Maanavika Adhyayan award instituted in memory of rationalist M.M. Kalburgi. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.
Prof. Seshadri, as member of the Nanjundappa committee, authored the deprivation index to help assess backwardness through 35 indicators. He was also a member of the first High-Powered Committee for implementing the committee’s recommendations. He was also instrumental in getting the Department of Development Studies established at Kannada University, Hampi.
Prof. Seshadri was in the forefront of the effort to get a PG centre of Gulbarga University established in Ballari and in getting Ballari included in the Hyderabad Karnataka region and getting the benefits of Article 371(J). He had actively participated in the Gokak movement seeking supremacy for Kannada in administration.
He has to his credit several books, including Human Development and Regional Imbalance, brought out by Kannada University.
K.C. Kondaiah, MLC, G. Somashekar Reddy, B. Nagendra, all legislators, T.G. Vittal of Gandhi Bhavan, T.R. Chandrashekar, consultant, Fourth State Finance Commission, many professors from Kannada University, and a large number of his students paid their last respect to him. Members of the Socialist Unity Centre of India, Save Education Committee, All-India Democratic Students’ Organisation, and several other groups also condoled the death.
The body was cremated on Friday evening.