Jaipur: Renowned social activist and Padma Shri awardee Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, founder of the Barefoot College in Rajasthan’s Tilonia, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 81. He breathed his last at around 6:15 am.
Roy dedicated his life to rural development and empowering disadvantaged communities through education, skill development and renewable energy. He became internationally recognised for his work in training rural women, including elderly women with little or no formal education, to become solar engineers.
His wife, Aruna Roy, is also a prominent social activist and a leading figure in India’s Right to Information (RTI) movement.
Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor Pay Tribute
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed deep sorrow over Bunker Roy’s demise in a post on social media platform X. He said Roy had made an extraordinary contribution to rural self-reliance, education and development by following the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
Gehlot said Roy dedicated his entire life to empowering villages and bringing meaningful change to the lives of disadvantaged communities. Recalling his association with the social activist, he said he had known him for a long time and had recently visited Barefoot College in Tilonia to meet him and Aruna Roy.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also expressed condolences and extended his sympathies to Aruna Roy and the family. He recalled Bunker Roy’s lifelong commitment to making rural communities self-reliant.
Tharoor highlighted Barefoot College’s work in training village women, particularly grandmothers, to install and repair solar lighting systems. The initiative helped bring electricity to households in thousands of villages in India and several other countries, improving access to power in communities with limited conventional electricity facilities.
Barefoot College and the ‘Solar Mamas’ Initiative
Bunker Roy and Aruna Roy established the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC) in Tilonia, Rajasthan, in 1972. The organisation later became widely known as Barefoot College.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, the institution works on the principle that rural communities have the knowledge and skills needed to address their own challenges. Rather than depending entirely on outside engineers and specialists, it trains local people to become problem-solvers within their communities.
Its programmes cover solar energy, handpump repair, rainwater harvesting, handicrafts and other practical skills. One of its most recognised initiatives involves training rural women, including grandmothers who have never attended formal school, to install, maintain and repair solar energy systems.
These women are popularly known as ‘Solar Mamas’. The programme has helped women become solar engineers and bring electricity to remote villages in India and abroad.
From Elite Education to Rural Development
Born Sanjit Roy on June 30, 1945, in Burnpur, West Bengal, he became internationally known as Bunker Roy. He belonged to a prominent Bengali family. Accounts of his early life say his childhood nickname was inspired by the name of his brother, Shankar. The two names were given a rhyming connection, and ‘Bunker’ eventually became the name by which he was recognised around the world.
Roy received an elite education, studying at The Doon School in Dehradun before attending St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. He was also passionate about sports and achieved considerable success in squash. In 1965, he became India’s national squash champion and represented the country internationally on three occasions.
The Bihar famine of 1967 proved to be a turning point in his life. Witnessing widespread hunger, poverty and suffering in rural areas deeply affected him and inspired him to work for disadvantaged communities.
In 1972, he established the Social Work and Research Centre in Tilonia, Rajasthan. The institution was built around his belief that practical knowledge, experience and skills mattered more than formal degrees.
It trained rural residents to address local problems using available resources and community participation. The solar training programme later expanded beyond India, enabling women from several countries to gain technical skills and contribute to the development of their villages.
Padma Shri Award and Lasting Legacy
Bunker Roy’s pioneering work in rural development, renewable energy and women’s empowerment earned him recognition in India and internationally. He received the Padma Shri in 2010 for his contribution to social work.
His work brought global attention to the potential of community-led development and the importance of recognising the knowledge and capabilities of rural people.
His legacy will continue through Barefoot College and the thousands of rural women and communities whose lives were transformed by his vision.