Pune’s Gokhale Institute appoints Sanjeev Sanyal as chancellor

Sanyal’s name was under consideration after Debroy, the chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, resigned on September 26 following the removal of Ranade

The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) has appointed noted economist and a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) Sanjeev Sanyal as its chancellor, 10 days after Bibek Debroy resigned from the post.   

During its meeting on Saturday, a key office bearer had initially opposed Sanyal’s name although subsequently, everyone was on board, said a source.   (HT PHOTO)

Sanyal, who will take over the charge on Monday, accepted the Chancellorship saying he is “looking forward to working with faculty, staff and students to build on GIPE’s well-established legacy.” 

“This is just to state that I have accepted the Chancellorship of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. Look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to build on GIPE’s well-established legacy,” Sanyal said on Sunday.  

Sanyal clarified that the new responsibility will not affect his role as a member of PM’s Economic Advisory Council.  

“For those uninitiated with the structure of academic administration, the Chancellor of a university is somewhat like a “non-executive chairman” - duties relate to broad direction and governance rather than the daily running of the institution. This role does not impact my normal work as a full-time member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council,” Sanyal added in a post on X. 

Sanyal’s name was under consideration among the Servants Society of India (SSI), which manages GIPE, after Debroy, the chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, resigned on September 26 in the light of a controversy over the removal of vice-chancellor Ajit Ranade. Ranade later managed to secure interim protection against the action from the Bombay High Court till October 7. 

During its meeting on Saturday, a key office bearer had initially opposed Sanyal’s name although subsequently, everyone was on board, said a source.  

“All the members of the society unanimously voted for the appointment of Sanyal yesterday and accordingly we sent the letter for the appointment of GIPE Chancellor. While he has also accepted the offer and reverted to us via email,” said SSI current president Damodar Sahoo. 

Sanyal has been a member of EAC-PM since 2022 with the rank of secretary, Government of India. Earlier, he had been the principal economic adviser to the Union finance minister for five years till February 2022. 

Before joining the government, Sanyal spent over two decades in international financial markets and served as the chief economist for South & Southeast Asia and later as a global strategist and a managing director at Deutsche Bank. 

An alumnus of the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, Sanyal later attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2007 for his work on urban systems. 

In its letter signed by Sahoo, SSI stated, “We are confident that under your able leadership, Gokhale will continue to build on its legacy of excellence and reach newer heights of academic and social impact. Hope you will accept this responsibility and contribute your valuable services to the overall development of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.”