MarylinBrantley at 19:27, 11 November 2025

2025-11-11T19:27:51Z

New page

{{short description|Indian historian (1931–2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox academic
| name =
| image = 
| caption =
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1931|10|31}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age |df=yes|2018|12|03 |1931|10|31}}<ref name="Sage"/>
| workplaces =
| education =
| alma_mater = University of Cambridge
| thesis_title = The growth of education and political development in India, 1898–1920
| thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/462985437
| thesis_year = 1974
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| awards =
| website = 
}}
'''Aparna Basu''' (31 October 1931 – 3 December 2018) was an Indian historian, author, social worker and advocate for women's rights. She was a professor of Modern Indian history and head of the History department at [[Delhi University]]. In her later career, she served as President of the [[All India Women's Conference]] (AIWC) and chairperson of the [[National Gandhi Museum]] in [[New Delhi]].

==Early life and education==
Basu was born in [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]] to Saudamini (née Nilkanth) and [[Gaganvihari Lallubhai Mehta]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Roshni |date=2020 |title=Aparna Basu – A Life of Scholarship & Dignity |url=https://issuu.com/aiwc/docs/roshni_oct_to_dec/s/13780470 |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=issuu |language=en}}</ref> Her father was a member of the first [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission of India]] and later became [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|India's Ambassador to the United States]].<ref name=":1" /> Her mother, Saudamini, was a social worker who was president of AIWC Calcutta and president of [[Harijan Sevak Sangh]].<ref name=":1" /> Basu had her school education in [[Calcutta]]. She received a B.A. Honors degree from [[Elphinstone College]], [[University of Mumbai|Bombay University]]. She went on to earn a second B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D. in history from [[Newnham College]], [[University of Cambridge]].<ref name="Sage">{{Cite journal |last=Jain |first=Devaki |date=2019 |title=Aparna Basu (1931–2018) |journal=Indian Journal of Gender Studies |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1–2 |pages=2–3 |doi=10.1177/0971521519828025 |s2cid=182780758 |issn=0971-5215|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> She also earned an M.A. from [[George Washington University]], [[Washington D.C.]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-14 |title=Advisory Board – Gandhian Society |url=http://surajtrust.orientconsultancy.com/who-we-are/advisory-board/index.html |access-date=2022-12-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114170137/http://surajtrust.orientconsultancy.com/who-we-are/advisory-board/index.html |archive-date=14 January 2022 }}</ref>

==Career==
Basu worked at the [[MIT Center for International Studies]], [[Lady Shri Ram College]], Delhi University, Elphinstone College, and [[Jadavpur University]] in Calcutta.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}} She joined the history department of Delhi University as a reader in 1970, and later became professor of modern history and retired as head of the department.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Sage" /> Basu was a founding member of the Indian Association of Women's Studies and of the [[International Federation for Research in Women's History]]. She served multiple roles in the All India Women's Conference (AIWC), including president (2002–2004).<ref name=":1" /> During her time at AIWC, spoke on child labor issues in India<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bramham |first=Daphne |date=1996-05-25 |title=Child labor dilemma in India |pages=33 |work=The Kingston Whig-Standard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111837582/child-labor-dilemma-in-india/ |access-date=2022-10-23}}</ref> and women's rights.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bramham |first=Daphne |date=1996-05-13 |title=India's women fight to end deadly dowry demands |pages=11 |work=The Vancouver Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111837618/indias-women-fight-to-end-deadly-dowry/ |access-date=2022-10-23}}</ref> From 2013 until the time of her death in 2018, she served as Chairperson, National Gandhi Museum, New Delhi.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jain |first=Devaki |date=2019 |title=Aparna Basu (1931–2018) |journal=Indian Journal of Gender Studies |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1–2 |pages=2–3 |doi=10.1177/0971521519828025 |s2cid=182780758 |issn=0971-5215|doi-access=free }}</ref> She also served as chair of the All India Association for the Eradication of Illiteracy of Women, which runs centers in several parts of India for imparting functional literacy to women.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2018-12-04 |title=National Gandhi Museum chairperson Aparna Basu passes away |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/national-gandhi-museum-chairperson-aparna-basu-passes-away-118120401283_1.html |access-date=2022-10-23}}</ref>

Basu was known for her work on the history of education and women's history in India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Jain |first=Devaki |date=19 January 2019 |title=She Recovered Many Histories: A Tribute to Aparna Basu |journal=Economic and Political Weekly; Mumbai |id={{ProQuest|}} }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=M. Adil |date=2018-12-23 |title=Professor Aparna Basu: An Obituary From a Friend to One of the Founding Editorial Board Nembers of the South Asia Journal |url=http://southasiajournal.net/professor-aparna-basu-an-obituary-from-a-friend-to-one-of-the-founding-editorial-board-members-of-the-south-asia-journal/ |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=South Asia Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Selected publications ==
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Aparna |title=The growth of education and political development in India, 1898–1920. |date=1974 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-560352-4 |location=Delhi |oclc=1176565}}<ref>Reviews for ''The growth of education and political development in India''
* {{Cite journal |last=Sankhdher |first=B. M. |date=1975 |title=Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898–1920. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2052791 |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=554–556 |doi=10.2307/2052791 |jstor=2052791 |s2cid=162115089 |issn=0021-9118|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Altbach |first=Philip G. |date=1975 |title=Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898–1920.; Education and Politics in India: Studies in Organization, Society, and Policy. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2063615 |journal=Contemporary Sociology |volume=4 |issue=5 |pages=495 |doi=10.2307/2063615 |jstor=2063615 |issn=0094-3061|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Mathai |first=Samuel |date=1976 |title=Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898–1920 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45070455 |journal=India Quarterly |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=365–367 |jstor=45070455 |issn=0974-9284}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Laird |first=Michael |date=1976 |editor-last=Basu |editor-first=Aparna |editor2-last=Mathur |editor2-first=Y. B. |title=India's Schools in the Time of Curzon |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/367728 |journal=History of Education Quarterly |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=495–498 |doi=10.2307/367728 |jstor=367728 |s2cid=147698804 |issn=0018-2680|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Mazumdar |first=V |date=1975 |title=Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India; 1898–1920 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23001842 |journal=India International Centre Quarterly |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=228–231 |jstor=23001842 |issn=0376-9771}}</ref>
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Aparna |date=1982 |title=Essays in the history of Indian education |oclc=9643874 }}<ref>Review for ''Essays in the history of Indian education''
* {{Cite journal |last=di Bona |first=Joseph |date=1985 |title=Review of Essays in the History of Indian Education |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1188415 |journal=Comparative Education Review |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=273–276 |doi=10.1086/446518 |jstor=1188415 |issn=0010-4086|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* {{Cite book |last1=Bharati |first1=Ray |title=From independence towards freedom : Indian women since 1947 |last2=Basu |first2=Aparna |date=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-564575-8 |location=New Delhi |oclc=41368549}}<ref>Review for ''From independence towards freedom ''
* {{Cite journal |last=Phadke |first=Shilpa |date=2000 |editor-last=Ray |editor-first=Bharati |editor2-last=Basu |editor2-first=Aparna |title=Exploring Women's Issues |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4408820 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=113–114 |jstor=4408820 |issn=0012-9976}}</ref>
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Aparna |title=Women's struggle : a history of the All India Women's Conference, 1927–2002 |date=2003 |publisher=Manohar |others=Bharati Ray |isbn=81-7304-476-7 |edition=2nd |location=New Delhi |oclc=52899325}}<ref>Review for ''Women's struggle''
* {{Cite journal |last=Desai |first=Neera |date=2003 |editor-last=Basu |editor-first=Aparna |editor2-last=Ray |editor2-first=Bharati |title=Defining Agendas: AIWC's Role as Witness to History |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4413937 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=38 |issue=34 |pages=3559–3560 |jstor=4413937 |issn=0012-9976}}</ref>
* {{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Aparna |title=Mridula Sarabhai : rebel with a cause |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-566794-8 |location=Delhi |oclc=54003876}}<ref>Review for ''Mridula Sarabhai''
* {{Cite journal |last=Minault |first=Gail |date=1997 |title=Review of Mridula Sarabhai: Rebel with a Cause |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2170751 |journal=The American Historical Review |volume=102 |issue=4 |pages=1216 |doi=10.2307/2170751 |jstor=2170751 |issn=0002-8762|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basu, Aparna}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Elphinstone College alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Delhi University]]

Aparna Basu - Revision history

MarylinBrantley at 19:27, 11 November 2025