Isher Judge Ahluwalia

Isher Judge Ahluwalia (1 October 194526 September 2020) was an Indian economist, public policy researcher, and professor. She was Chairperson Emeritus, Board of Governors, at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). She had also served as the chairperson of the board of the International Food Policy Research Institute, and the chairperson of the Government of India's High-Powered Committee on Urban Infrastructure Services.

Education Ahluwalia completed her PhD in economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with her research focusing on Indian macroeconomy and productivity during the country's economic period between 1951 and 1973, under the American economist Paul Samuelson, and Israeli American economist Stanley Fischer. She also had a master's degree from the Delhi School of Economics, and a bachelor's degree in economics from Presidency College, Kolkata, University of Calcutta.

Career alt=Dr. Ahluwalia with former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the New Delhi office of the International Food Policy Research Institute. Dr. Ahluwalia with former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the New Delhi office of the International Food Policy Research Institute. (New Delhi, March 2005) Chairperson Dr. Ahluwalia presenting the report of the High Power Expert Committee for Estimating Investment Requirements for Urban Infrastructure Services to then minister Kamal Nath (New Delhi, March 2011)

Ahluwalia started her career as a policy economist at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, before moving over to India.

She went on to become the chairperson of the board of governors at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, and was earlier the director and chief executive at the same institute from 1998 to 2002. She was a Member of the Government of India's National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council. She was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Water Management Institute. She was chairperson, board of trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in Washington, D.C., from 2003 to 2006, and a member of the board from 2000 She was a member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) which prepared a report on the role of the Asian Development Bank from 2006 to 2007, and Member of the Eminent Persons Group on India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). She served as the Vice Chairperson of the Punjab State Planning Board from 2005 to 2007.

She died from grade IV glioblastoma on 26 September 2020, at age 74. She had been battling brain cancer for the preceding 10 months and had stepped down from her position at ICRIER due to her health concerns, a month prior to her death. 1987: Batheja Memorial Award for best book on Indian Economy, Industrial Growth in India: Stagnation Since the mid-1960s.

Selected bibliography Books

Chapters in books