2 publishers · first seen Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:00 UTC · updated Thu, 12 Nov 2026 04:32 UTC
Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy, the founder of Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, passed away at the age of 81. Roy dedicated over five decades to rural development and empowering marginalized communities, particularly women. His work, rooted in Gandhian principles, focused on community-led solutions for water management, solar energy, and education. Roy's Barefoot College trained over three million people, including illiterate and semi-literate women, to become solar engineers, known as 'Solar Mamas'. His contributions were recognized internationally, including being named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010. Roy received numerous awards, such as the Padma Shri in 1986 and the Clinton Global Citizen Award in 2013.
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