Aparna Basu (31 October 1931 – 3 December 2018) was an Indian historian, author, social worker and advocate for women’s rights. She was a professor of Modern Indian history and head of the History department at Delhi University. In her later career, she served as President of the All India Women's Conference (AIWC) and chairperson of the National Gandhi Museum in New Delhi.
Aparna Basu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 October 1931 |
| Died | 3 December 2018 (aged 87)[1] |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Thesis | The growth of education and political development in India, 1898–1920 (1974) |
Early life and education
editBasu was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India to Saudamini (née Nilkanth) and Gaganvihari Lallubhai Mehta.[2] Her father was a member of the first Planning Commission of India and later became India’s Ambassador to the United States.[2] Her mother, Saudamini, was a social worker who was president of AIWC Calcutta and president of Harijan Sevak Sangh.[2] Basu had her school education in Calcutta. She received a B.A. Honors degree from Elphinstone College, Bombay University. She went on to earn a second B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D. in history from Newnham College, University of Cambridge.[1][2] She also earned an M.A. from George Washington University, Washington D.C..[3]
Career
editBasu worked at the MIT Center for International Studies, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, Elphinstone College, and Jadavpur University in Calcutta.[citation needed] She joined the history department of Delhi University as a reader in 1970, and later became professor of modern history and retired as head of the department.[2][1] Basu was a founding member of the Indian Association of Women’s Studies and of the International Federation for Research in Women's History. She served multiple roles in the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), including president (2002-2004).[2] During her time at AIWC, spoke on child labor issues in India[4] and women's rights.[5] From 2013 until the time of her death in 2018, she served as Chairperson, National Gandhi Museum, New Delhi.[6][7] She also served as chair of the All India Association for the Eradication of Illiteracy of Women, which runs centers in several parts of India for imparting functional literacy to women.[8]
Basu was known for her work on the history of education and women’s history in India.[6][9]
Selected publications
edit- Basu, Aparna (1974). The growth of education and political development in India, 1898–1920. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-560352-4. OCLC 1176565.[10]
- Basu, Aparna (1982). Essays in the history of Indian education. OCLC 9643874. Retrieved 29 August 2022 – via www.worldcat.org.[11]
- Bharati, Ray; Basu, Aparna (1999). From independence towards freedom : Indian women since 1947. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-564575-8. OCLC 41368549.[12]
- Basu, Aparna (2003). Women's struggle : a history of the All India Women's Conference, 1927-2002. Bharati Ray (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Manohar. ISBN 81-7304-476-7. OCLC 52899325.[13]
- Basu, Aparna (2003). Mridula Sarabhai : rebel with a cause. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-566794-8. OCLC 54003876.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c Jain, Devaki (2019). "Aparna Basu (1931–2018)". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 26 (1–2): 2–3. doi:10.1177/0971521519828025. ISSN 0971-5215. S2CID 182780758.
- ^ a b c d e f Roshni (2020). "Aparna Basu- A Life of Scholarship & Dignity". issuu. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Advisory Board – Gandhian Society". 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
- ^ Bramham, Daphne (25 May 1996). "Child labor dilemma in India". The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 33. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ Bramham, Daphne (13 May 1996). "India's women fight to end deadly dowry demands". The Vancouver Sun. p. 11. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ a b Jain, Devaki (19 January 2019). "She Recovered Many Histories: A Tribute to Aparna Basu". Economic and Political Weekly; Mumbai – via ProQuest.
- ^ Jain, Devaki (2019). "Aparna Basu (1931–2018)". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 26 (1–2): 2–3. doi:10.1177/0971521519828025. ISSN 0971-5215. S2CID 182780758.
- ^ "National Gandhi Museum chairperson Aparna Basu passes away". Business Standard India. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ Khan, M. Adil (23 December 2018). "PROFESSOR APARNA BASU: AN OBITUARY FROM A FRIEND TO ONE OF THE FOUNDING EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH ASIA JOURNAL". South Asia Journal. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ Reviews for The growth of education and political development in India
- Sankhdher, B. M. (1975). "Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898-1920". The Journal of Asian Studies. 34 (2): 554–556. doi:10.2307/2052791. ISSN 0021-9118. JSTOR 2052791. S2CID 162115089.
- Altbach, Philip G. (1975). "Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898-1920.; Education and Politics in India: Studies in Organization, Society, and Policy". Contemporary Sociology. 4 (5): 495. doi:10.2307/2063615. ISSN 0094-3061. JSTOR 2063615.
- Mathai, Samuel (1976). "Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India, 1898-1920". India Quarterly. 32 (3): 365–367. ISSN 0974-9284. JSTOR 45070455.
- Laird, Michael (1976). Basu, Aparna; Mathur, Y. B. (eds.). "India's Schools in the Time of Curzon". History of Education Quarterly. 16 (4): 495–498. doi:10.2307/367728. ISSN 0018-2680. JSTOR 367728. S2CID 147698804.
- Mazumdar, V (1975). "Review of The Growth of Education and Political Development in India; 1898-1920". India International Centre Quarterly. 2 (3): 228–231. ISSN 0376-9771. JSTOR 23001842.
- ^ Review for Essays in the history of Indian education
- di Bona, Joseph (1985). "Review of Essays in the History of Indian Education". Comparative Education Review. 29 (2): 273–276. doi:10.1086/446518. ISSN 0010-4086. JSTOR 1188415.
- ^ Review for From independence towards freedom
- Phadke, Shilpa (2000). Ray, Bharati; Basu, Aparna (eds.). "Exploring Women's Issues". Economic and Political Weekly. 35 (3): 113–114. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 4408820.
- ^ Review for Women's struggle
- Desai, Neera (2003). Basu, Aparna; Ray, Bharati (eds.). "Defining Agendas: AIWC's Role as Witness to History". Economic and Political Weekly. 38 (34): 3559–3560. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 4413937.
- ^ Review for Mridula Sarabhai
- Minault, Gail (1997). "Review of Mridula Sarabhai: Rebel with a Cause". The American Historical Review. 102 (4): 1216. doi:10.2307/2170751. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 2170751.