A JNU alumni, economist Abhijit Banerjee wins Nobel Prize
New Delhi: In a proud moment for one of the most prestigious universities in India, alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Indian-American economist Abhijit Banerjee‑won the Economics Nobel Prize on Monday, along with his wife Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their "experimental approach to alleviating global poverty."
Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, who pursued his Masters in Economics from the university in 1983, is the eighth Indian born person to win a Nobel Prize. Interestingly, this is also the first time that a JNU alumni has bagged such a prestigious award.
This is a big moment for JNU, as one of the oldest universities in the country, it has been thrashed for producing "anti-national" elements and has seen numerous protests and slogans in the recent years.
Taking to Twitter, JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar expressed his pride at Banerjee's achievement. "Prof. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, a JNU alumnus (MA in Economics, 1983) wins Nobel Prize (together with two fellow economists) for contributing towards alleviating global poverty. JNU is proud of his achievement. Our alumni are torch bearers of JNU. We are proud of them," he tweeted.
Celebrating the moment, numerous bigwigs affiliated with the University, or have been alumnus, called it a proud moment. JNU has been famous for giving out one of the best brains in the country, with numerous politicians, social activists, economists, journalists and people in different sectors, at the forefront.
As Banerjee won a Nobel Prize, JNU started trending on social media, with numerous people coming out in support of the university.
"All the lies and propaganda that the haters peddled against JNU in the last 3.5 years, came down like a pack of cards," tweeted a user. Even current students who are studying at the university expressed their happiness with Banerjee winning the award. The social media also filled with congratulations for the economist with political parties and leaders flashing their compliments.
