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Economist Jean Drèze was awarded the Global Inequality Research Award at the World Inequality Conference held at the Paris School of Economics on Friday.
Drèze was honoured for his contributions to the study of poverty and inequality in India and for his advocacy of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the National Food Security Act.
Speaking after receiving the award, Drèze said the recognition reflected the collective efforts of numerous individuals and groups working towards change, rather than his achievements alone, Scroll.in reported.
He also observed that India experiences multiple forms of inequality, including economic disparities, caste-based discrimination, gender gaps and unequal access to education. At the same time, he noted that the country has a long tradition of movements resisting inequality and said he had been fortunate to be associated with some of them.
The Global Inequality Research Award is presented every two years to researchers whose work has significantly advanced the understanding of inequalities around the world.
This was the second edition of the award. The inaugural award in 2024 was jointly presented to Bina Agarwal and James K Boyce for their work on social and environmental inequalities.
In recent years, Drèze has opposed the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and raised concerns about the use of Aadhaar authentication for accessing food rations.
He has argued that the new rural employment law, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, offers a work guarantee without adequately ensuring that the guarantee can be effectively enforced. He has also questioned instances where people were denied food rations under the public distribution system due to the lack of Aadhaar authentication.