T K Oommen Passes Away as Renowned Sociologist and Padma Bhushan Awardee

Exam-focused facts from the 1 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Renowned sociologist, writer, and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor T K Oommen passed away in Gurugram, Haryana, at the age of 88 on 27 February 2026.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in 2008.
He served as a member of the Sachar Committee, which was appointed to study the social, economic, and educational status of Muslim communities.
Oommen was the chairman of the advisory committee of the Gujarat Harmony Project, aimed at rebuilding Hindu-Muslim harmony after the 2002 riots.
He served as the 12th President of the International Sociological Association (ISA).
In 2007, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus at JNU.
He served as a University Grants Commission (UGC) National Sociology Lecturer and worked as a visiting professor at the University of California and Berkeley in the USA.
He completed his BA in Economics from the University of Kerala in 1957 and his MA in Sociology from the University of Pune in 1960, followed by a PhD in 1965.