Andre Béteille

André Beteille (30 September 1934 – 3 February 2026) was an Indian sociologist, writer and academician. He was known for his studies of the caste system in South India. He served with educational institutions in India such as Delhi School of Economics, North Eastern Hill University (in Shillong), and Ashoka University.

Early life and education Beteille was born to a French father and an Indian Bengali mother. Thereafter he received his doctorate from the University of Delhi. After a brief stint at the Indian Statistical Institute as a research fellow, he joined the faculty of sociology at the Delhi School of Economics.

Career Beteille taught at universities including Oxford University, Cambridge University, the University of Chicago, and the London School of Economics. He also served as the Chairman of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta and of the Indian Council of Social Science Research. He was appointed National Research Professor by the Government of India in 2007.

Beteille later served as the Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, and prior to that served as Chancellor of Ashoka University.

Death Beteille died in New Delhi on 3 February 2026, at the age of 91.

Awards and recognition Beteille was a recipient of the third highest civilian honour of India, the Padma Bhushan, and was also made a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). He also served on the Social Sciences jury for the Infosys Prize in 2010.