Key Facts

Pioneering Indian social activist, educator, and grassroots innovator Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy passed away at the age of 81. Born into an affluent family and educated at The Doon School and St. Stephen's College, Roy famously renounced urban privilege after the 1966 Bihar famine to dedicate his life to rural upliftment. In 1972, he founded the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC), popularly known as Barefoot College, in Tilonia, a drought-prone village in Rajasthan. Roy pioneered the philosophy of 'demystifying technology', training illiterate and semi-literate rural grandmothers—fondly known across the world as 'Solar Mamas'—from India, Africa, Latin America, and Asia to assemble, install, and maintain solar home lighting systems.

GK Context

Barefoot College revolutionized grassroots decentralised development by training villagers to become barefoot solar engineers, water harvesters, paravets, and teachers without requiring formal degrees or English literacy. Roy served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) during the formulation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 and the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1986, the Jamnalal Bajaj Award, and the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and was recognized by TIME magazine in 2010 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.