Barefoot College Founder Bunker Roy Dies at 81
Why in News?
- Sanjit Bunker Roy, founder of the Barefoot College, died on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, at the age of 81, The Tribune reported.
- He passed away peacefully at 6:15 am with his wife, the activist Aruna Roy, and others present, and his funeral was held in Tilonia, Rajasthan, where he made his home. No cause of death was given.
- He spent more than five decades on rural development, and the college he founded trains marginalised women from the Global South as solar engineers, known as "Solar Mamas".
Key Terminologies
- Bunker Roy
- Sanjit Bunker Roy, a social worker and educator who founded the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan. His work was shaped by a visit to Palamu, in present-day Jharkhand, during the famine of 1965.
- Barefoot College
- An institution at Tilonia that trains illiterate and semi-literate rural people, especially women, in skills such as solar engineering, water and health work. It follows a Gandhian philosophy and has trained women from many countries.
- Solar Mamas
- The name for marginalised women from the Global South who train at the college to design, make, install and repair solar lanterns and home-lighting systems.
- Aruna Roy
- A social activist and Bunker Roy's wife, known for her role in the movement for the right to information and for her 2024 memoir The Personal is Political.
- Technology Missions
- Government missions in the 1980s under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, linked to Sam Pitroda, which Jairam Ramesh recalled in his tribute to Roy.
Key Issues
- The Loss: Bunker Roy died at 81 on 10 November 2026, passing away peacefully at 6:15 am, The Tribune reported. His funeral was held in Tilonia.
- His Work: He founded the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, and spent more than five decades on rural development and the empowerment of marginalised communities.
- Solar Mamas: The college trains marginalised, illiterate and semi-literate women from the Global South as solar engineers who design, make, install and repair solar lanterns and home-lighting systems.
- Turning Point: His work was shaped by a 1965 visit to Palamu during a famine, where in a 2011 TED Talk he said he saw starvation, death and hunger for the first time.
- Tributes: Amitav Ghosh called him a true hero and said he was a champion squash player who could have been a diplomat or bureaucrat. Shashi Tharoor said he showed that illiterate and semi-literate villagers, especially women, could build, innovate and lead.
Key Implications
Positive/Pros/Merits
- Proof of Rural Capability: His model showed that people without formal degrees can be trained for skilled technical work.
- Women's Empowerment: Training women in solar engineering gave them income and standing in their communities.
- Global Reach: The college trained women from many Global South countries, a form of South-South cooperation.
- Gandhian Approach: The college links appropriate technology with village self-reliance.
Negative/Cons/Demerits
- Institutional Continuity: A founder-led organisation faces questions about leadership and funding after the founder's death.
- Scaling Limits: A hands-on training model is hard to scale to millions of villages.
- Policy Gap: The model's lessons are not always taken into official skilling programmes.
- Limited Detail: The report gave no list of awards and no birth details, so the full record of his honours must be taken from other sources.
Key Initiatives
- Barefoot College, Tilonia: It continues to train rural women as solar engineers and in other skills.
- Family: His wife Aruna Roy and others were present at his death, and the funeral was held in Tilonia.
- Public Figures: Amitav Ghosh, Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh paid tribute, reported 10 November 2026.
- Government Programmes: Technology Missions of the 1980s, in which Roy had a role according to Jairam Ramesh, aimed at using technology for development.
The Tribune report gave no cause of death, birth date, birthplace or list of awards, and it did not mention the year the college was founded. A 2011 TED Talk by Roy is the source of the Palamu account.
Director's Perspective
Way Forward
- Know what the Barefoot College is and where it is located.
- Understand the Solar Mamas model of training rural women as solar engineers.
- Link the model to appropriate technology, women's empowerment and South-South cooperation.
- Remember the Gandhian emphasis on village self-reliance.
- In answers, link such models to skilling and rural development schemes.
- Compare it with other community-led models such as self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
Bunker Roy's death at 81 ends a career of over five decades in which he showed that illiterate and semi-literate women could become solar engineers and trainers. The Barefoot College remains a model of appropriate technology and Gandhian self-reliance, but it must find ways to continue and scale without its founder. In a Mains answer, describe the college's model and its lessons for skilling and women's empowerment, and conclude that supporting community-based institutions can complement government rural development schemes.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bunker Roy?
Bunker Roy, or Sanjit Bunker Roy, was the founder of the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan. He died at the age of 81 on 10 November 2026, The Tribune reported, after more than five decades of work on rural development.
What is the Barefoot College?
The Barefoot College, at Tilonia in Rajasthan, trains marginalised, illiterate and semi-literate women from the Global South as solar engineers who design, make, install and repair solar lanterns and home-lighting systems. It follows a Gandhian philosophy, according to The Tribune.
What are Solar Mamas?
Solar Mamas is the affectionate name for the women trained at the Barefoot College as solar engineers. They come from marginalised communities in the Global South and learn to design, make, install and repair solar lanterns and home-lighting systems, The Tribune reported.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Barefoot College is located at Tilonia in Rajasthan.
It was founded by Bunker Roy.
2 Solar Mamas are women trained as solar engineers at the Barefoot College.
They come mostly from marginalised communities in the Global South.
3 Bunker Roy was the founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association.
He founded the Barefoot College at Tilonia.