Pune: Prof. Umakant Dash Takes Charge as Vice Chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune
Pune, 29th July 2025: Renowned economist and seasoned academician Prof. Umakant Dash has officially taken over as the Vice Chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Pune — one of the country’s premier institutions in economic research and public policy.
At a formal handover ceremony, outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Shankar Das passed on the responsibilities to Prof. Dash. GIPE extended heartfelt appreciation for Prof. Das’s leadership and noteworthy contributions during his tenure.
Prof. Dash brings with him over three decades of expertise in management education, public policy, and academic governance. Before this role, he served as the Director and RBI Chair Professor at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), where he significantly advanced rural policy and development research.
A Scholar with Global Recognition:
A graduate of IIT Kanpur, Prof. Dash holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics and an additional diploma in Health Systems Management from Tulane University, USA. His research, published in internationally reputed journals like The Lancet, BMC Public Health, and the International Journal for Equity in Health, covers areas such as health economics, development policy, and governance.
His research has been supported by major global institutions including DFID, WHO, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Access Health International. He has also led policy projects across Asia and Africa, collaborating with partners in Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and more.
Throughout his career, Prof. Dash has guided 17 doctoral researchers, many of whom now occupy key positions in academia and public institutions. His strong involvement in public policy includes advisory roles for several central government ministries—ranging from Health and Family Welfare to Panchayati Raj—as well as his membership on the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
He also contributes to academic governance through positions on boards at institutions such as IIT Indore, NIRDPR Hyderabad, NIBM Pune, LBSIM New Delhi, and NIRT Chennai.
Recent Honours and Achievements
Prof. Dash’s leadership has been recognized with several prestigious accolades:
AIMA–Kewal Nohria Award for Academic Leadership in Management Education (2024)
Named among India’s Greatest Leaders 2024–25 by AsiaOne Magazine
LVS Public Policy Lifetime Achievement Award (2025) by CNRI and the World Cooperation Economic Forum for his contributions to rural policy and development
