André Béteille passes away – The Hindu

Renowned Indian sociologist, writer, Professor André Béteille, 91, passed away due to age-related illness at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday (February 3, 2026). According to his family, he was ailing for some time and passed away at home. Tributes poured in on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) with academics calling him a “towering figure” and revisiting his contributions.

Historian Ramachandra Guha took to X referring to him as “a moral and intellectual anchor”. He wrote: “Devastated to hear that the great sociologist André Béteille is no more. He was the Indian scholar I most admired, for me (and many others) a moral and intellectual anchor.”

His last rites were performed on Wednesday (February 4, 2026). Of French and Indian descent, Mr. Béteille was born and brought up in West Bengal before he moved to Delhi after an M.A. in Calcutta University. 

He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He also served as the first chancellor of Ashoka University. Ashoka University said in a statement that he also taught at Ashoka’s flagship Young India Fellowship (YIF) programme from its founding years. 

“As Chancellor, Professor André Béteille led the university’s governing body with wisdom, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to academic excellence. His passing is a profound loss to the academic community and to the entire Ashoka family. His moral and intellectual legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the university said. 

His published work covers a wide range of topics from political sociology to the sociology of religion. He has authored books such as ‘Caste, Class and Power’, ‘Society and Politics in India’ and ‘The Idea of Natural Inequality and Other Essays’ among others.

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Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said on X that Professor André Béteille was “a truly outstanding scholar, a wonderful writer and always a delight to talk to,” adding that he had “learned so much from him over the years”.

Kaushik Basu, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, on ‘X’ called him a “truly towering figure, intellectually and morally, and with a fantastic sense of humour”.

Back in DSE, where Professor André Béteille taught for decades, his colleagues and students remembered him fondly, and said his was a “huge loss for the academic community”. 

Nandini Sundar, Professor of Sociology at the DSE, said all his students remember him fondly, and is remembered for his “kind nature”, in addition to his scholarly works. Satish Deshpande, formerly a professor in the Department of Sociology in DSE, said, “He was a dedicated teacher and scholar who contributed significantly to the analysis of social inequality.”