Gitam Foundation Award for eminent economist

The Gitam University will present the Gitam Foundation Annual Award-2013 to renowned economist and Sanskrit scholar Dr VR Panchamukhi at a function here on August 10, according to Vice-Chancellor Prof. G Subrahmanyam. The award, instituted with the donation of Dr MVVS Murthi with a corpus fund of Rs 3 crore, was intended to recognise personalities for their path-breaking and seminal contribution in education, economy, science, literature, fine arts and public service. The award carries a plaque and a cheque for Rs 1 million.

Dr Panchamukhi is chairman of the India Econometric Society’s Trust, vice-chairman of the Indian Economic Association Trust for Research and Development and the managing editor of Indian Economic Journal. He is Chancellor of Sri Gurusarvabhouma Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Mantralayam, and former Chancellor of Rashtriya Sanskrit Viswavidyalaya, Tirupati. He was the member-secretary of prestigious PC Alexander Committee on Import Export Policies and Producers in 1977. He also served as consultant to several UN bodies like UNCTAD, ESCAP, UNDP, ILO and also for multilateral bodies like the World Bank, IMF and inter-governmental bodies like G-77, South Centre, Geneva and NAM.

He authored an interesting book on ‘Indian Classical Thoughts on Economic Development and Management’, which gives a new orientation to economic science. He was a board member of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) as an IDBI nominee for eight years and also a board member of the Indian Overseas Bank as a nominee of the Finance Ministry.