Prof. Yoginder K. Alagh, born February 14, 1939, Chakwal (India) is currently Chairman IRMA, Chancellor, Nagaland University and Vice Chairman of Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research, Ahmedabad. He is a Trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. He was earlier Minister of Power and for Planning & Programme Implementation with additional charge of the Ministry of Science & Technology. He has been Member, Planning Commission (in the rank of Minister of State). He has been Chairman, Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices, Ministry of Industry and Secretary to the Government of India and is currently an independent Director of Tata Chemicals and Shri Cements. He is on the Managing Board of SANDEE (South Asia Network of Development Economists).
He holds a Doctoral Degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and Master’s Degree in the same subject from that University and the University of Rajasthan. He has taught Economics at the University of Rajasthan, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, University of Jodhpur, Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania.
He has seven books and over a hundred articles to his credit published both at home and abroad. He was a Member of the Council, United Nations University and also Chairman, Scientific Steering Committee of the International Social Science Programme of UNESCO. He has been awarded the VKRV Rao Award in Economics for 1981. He was Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University and was Senior Fellow, World Institute of Development Economic Research, United Nations University, Helsinki. He was the Coordinator for South Asia Technology Network of the Commission of European Communities at Brussels, Special Adviser to the Secretary General of the UN (RIO) Conference on Environment and Development. He has been Senior Adviser Consultant to FAO, UNFPA, ILO, ESCAP World Bank and UNDP and Visiting Professor at the prestigious Sc. PO of Paris in 1995, Distinguished Fullbright Lecturer in the U.S in 1994 and Shastri Lecturer in Canada in 2000. He is Senior Fellow of CIGI in Canada, Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Delhi and the World Innovation Foundation, UK. He writes for the Indian Express and Financial Express.