Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, founder of Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, died at his home on November 10, 2026, aged 81. He was with his wife, activist Aruna Roy, and other family members at the time of his death.

Born on June 30, 1945, Roy studied at The Doon School, Dehradun, and St Stephen’s College, Delhi. A former national squash champion, he turned to rural development after witnessing distress during the Bihar famine. In 1972, he settled in Tilonia and established the Social Work and Research Centre, which later became Barefoot College.

Roy believed that formal education and qualifications were not prerequisites for solving rural problems. Through Barefoot College, he trained rural communities, particularly women with little or no formal education, in skills including solar engineering, water management, education and healthcare.

The institution’s Solar Mamas programme became one of its best-known initiatives, training rural women from India and other countries to install and maintain solar lighting systems in villages without electricity. The programme brought solar power to thousands of households across the developing world.

Roy received the Padma Shri in 1986 and was named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010. His work challenged conventional approaches to rural development by placing local knowledge and community participation at the centre of social change.

His contributions to rural education and development have influenced community-led initiatives in India and across the world.

Inputs from Scoonews

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