Renowned economist, House of Lords peer Meghnad Desai passes away
London, Jul 29 (PTI): Lord Meghnad Desai, renowned British Indian economist and House of Lords peer, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 85.
He is believed to have passed away in a hospital in Gurugram following a health issue, sources close to the family in London indicated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led tributes to the Gujarat-born parliamentarian and thinker, who played a prominent role in deepening India-UK relations.
"Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist,” Prime Minister Modi posted on social media.
"He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable insights. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” he said.
Desai, a Padma Bhushan awardee, taught economics from 1965 to 2003 at the London School of Economics. He joined the Labour Party in 1971 and was elevated to the House of Lords in June 1991.
Fellow peer in the House of Lords, Rami Ranger, described him as a "pillar of the community who worked tirelessly and made significant contributions to many worthy causes, including the Gandhi Memorial Statue at Parliament, which I collaborated on with him".
"He will be greatly missed. We pray for a place in heaven for the departed soul and his family's strength to cope with this loss," said Lord Ranger.
Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable… pic.twitter.com/q1cv3DAXaw
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2025
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
