Development Economist & Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Prof. Santosh Mehrotra is a human development economist, whose research and writings have had most influence in the areas of labour, employment, skill development, child poverty, and the economics of education. He was an economic adviser in the United Nations system in New York City, Italy, and Thailand(1991-2006), apart from making contributions to academic research since the mid-1980s. He was first Head of Rural Development Division, and then Head, Development Policy Division, Planning Commission, from 2006 to 2009.

He was one of the authors of India’s 11th Five-Year Plan (2007–12) and of the 12th Plan, and also led the team on the  India Human Development Report 2011.He is the author of the 2015 book ‘Seizing the Demographic Dividend. Policies to Achieve Inclusive Growth in India’.