What is Jagdish Bhagwati known for?
He was the first economist to define ‘Spaghetti Bowl Effect’ in his 1995 paper ‘U.S: The Infatuation with Free Trade Agreements’. His 2007 book, ‘In Defense of Globalization’, was widely acclaimed. He is eyeing the post of economic advisor to Narendra Modi, should he become the Prime Minister.
When and where was he born?
Bhagwati was born on July 26, 1934 in Mumbai.
What is his educational background?
He graduated with a B.A from Sydenham College, Mumbai and then went on to attain his second B.A in Economics from St. John’s College, Cambridge. He received his Ph.D from the exclusive and the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961.
His career profile
A professor for the Delhi School of Economics between 1962 and 1968, he went to MIT (1968 to 1980). He was with the WTO in 2001. From 1991 to 1993 he was the Economics policy advisor to the Director-General of the GATT. He is currently professor of Economics and Law in Columbia University, New York.
His personal life
Bhagwati married fellow academician Padma Desai who is also a Columbia economist and Russia- specialist. They have a daughter. His feud with Amartya Sen is widely known.
Awards and honours
He won the Padma Vibushan in 2000, and a Life-time Achievement Award of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (2004), Seidman Distinguished Award in International Political Economy and others. But the Nobel Prize has eluded him.