People, Positions and Obituaries · 6 February 2026

André Béteille, pioneering Indian sociologist, died at 91.

Exam-focused facts from the 6 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • André Béteille died in New Delhi on Tuesday night after a prolonged age-related illness at the age of 91.
  • He was born in West Bengal to a French father and an Indian mother and completed his MA at Calcutta University before joining the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) in 1959.
  • Béteille taught at DSE from 1959 until his retirement in 1999 and was known for never missing classes except for a few visiting fellowships abroad.
  • His major books include Caste, Class and Power (1965), Society and Politics in India (1991), and Equality and Universality: Essays in Social and Political Theory (2002).
  • He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contribution to literature and education.
  • After retirement, he was associated with the Indian Council of Social Science Research and served as Chancellor of Ashoka University from 2014 to 2017.

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