JestineLegg9 at 04:06, 8 March 2026

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{{Short description|Indian scholar, social scientist, economist and prominent academician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = M. Kunhaman
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{circa|1949}}
| birth_place = [[Palakkad district]], [[Kerala]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|12|03|1949}}
| death_place = [[Sreekaryam]]
| education = {{hlist|[[Centre for Development Studies]]|[[Cochin University of Science and Technology]]}}
| occupation = Economist, Scholar, Thinker
| known_for =
| awards = [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography]]
| spouse =
}}

'''M. Kunhaman''' ({{circa|1949}} – 3 December 2023) was an Indian economist, social scientist, thinker and academician from [[Kerala]]. He was a professor at the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]] (TISS) campus in [[Tuljapur]], a member of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]], and a long time [[Economics]] faculty member at the [[University of Kerala]]. Kunhaman was awarded the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography|Kerala Sahitya Akademi award]] for his biographical work ''Ethiru'' in [[2021 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards|2021]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-03 |title=Renowned economist and Dalit thinker M Kunjaman found dead at home |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala/noted-economist-dalit-rights-activist-m-kunjaman-found-dead-9053090/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==Biography==
M. Kunhaman was born in Vadanamkurissi in [[Palakkad]] in Kerala, India .<ref name="mathrubhumiobit">{{cite news |title=Noted economist Prof M Kunhaman no more |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/noted-economist-prof-m-kunhaman-no-more-1.9124741 |access-date=8 January 2024 |work=Mathrubhumi |date=8 December 2023}}</ref> He received the first rank in MA Economics at [[Calicut University]] in 1974.<ref name="mathrubhumiobit"/><ref name="tniecolossus">{{cite news |title=M Kunjaman, a colossus who sharpened focus on the poor |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2023/dec/08/m-kunjaman-a-colossus-who-sharpened-focus-on-the-poor-2639510.html |access-date=8 January 2024 |work=The New Indian Express |date=8 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-04 |title=‌നിങ്ങൾ അറിയുമോ ഡോ. കുഞ്ഞാമനെ? |url=https://newspaper.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/article-based-on-the-life-of-m-kunjaman-1.9125035 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Newspaper |language=en}}</ref>

Kunhaman enrolled in the MPhil programme at the [[Centre for Development Studies]] (CDS) in [[Thiruvananthapuram]] after receiving his MA in economics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=M Kunjaman passes away: 'ഈ ലോകത്ത് നിന്ന് പോകുന്നു..': സാമ്പത്തിക വിദഗ്ധന്‍ എം കുഞ്ഞാമന്‍ അന്തരിച്ചു |url=https://malayalam.indiatoday.in/keralam/story/dalit-thinker-famous-economist-kerala-university-lecturer-dr-m-kunjaman-passes-away-720520-2023-12-03 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=India Today Malayalam |language=ml}}</ref> A Fulbright scholar, he started his career in academics as a lecturer at the [[University of Kerala]] in 1979. He spent 27 years as a pre-eminent faculty member in the Economics Department. He had been a critical part of the University Grants Commission (UGC). He left the University of Kerala in 2006 to lead [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences|TISS]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=nirmala.babu |title=പട്ടിണി കാരണം വിൽക്കേണ്ടി വന്ന സ്വർണ്ണ മെഡൽ, ജാതിവിവേഹനത്തിനെതിരെ പോരാടിയ ജീവിതം‍; എം കുഞ്ഞാമന് വിട |url=https://www.asianetnews.com/kerala-news/eminent-economist-and-dalit-thinker-dr-m-kunjaman-has-passed-away-nbu-s53eux |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd |language=ml}}</ref>

Kunhaman's autobiography ''Ethiru'' was chosen as the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography|best autobiography]] by the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi]] in 2021. However, Kunhaman turned it down. He described the underprivileged way of life and social disparities in Kerala in his autobiography. Kunhaman was the author of several books and multiple papers on the Kerala economic model, macro economics, and land reforms. His publications include ''Development of Tribal Economy'', ''State Level Planning in India'', ''Globalization: A Subaltern Perspective'', and ''Economic Development and Social Change''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Noted Economist Professor M Kunjaman Found Dead |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/noted-economist-kunjaman-found-dead-4630283 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

Kunhaman died at his residence in [[Sreekaryam]] on 3 December 2023.<ref name="mathrubhumiobit"/>

==Awards==
* 2021 - [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography]], ''Ethiru''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daily |first=Keralakaumudi |title=Prominent financial expert M Kunjaman passes away |url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1202126&u=prominent-financial-expert-m-kunjaman-passes-away-1202126 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Keralakaumudi Daily |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunjaman, M}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Kerala]]
[[Category:People from Palakkad district]]
[[Category:University of Calicut alumni]]
[[Category:Cochin University of Science and Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian economists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian economists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian biographers]]
[[Category:Dalit writers]]

M. Kunjaman - Revision history

JestineLegg9 at 04:06, 8 March 2026