• Barefoot College founder Sanjit Bunker Roy dies at 81 in Tilonia, Rajasthan.
• He breathed his last at 6.15 am in the presence of wife Aruna Roy and close associates.
• Founded the Social Work and Research Centre in 1972 to promote rural development.
• His initiatives empowered rural women through solar training, education and livelihood programmes.

GG News Bureau
Tilonia, 10th Nov: Renowned social activist and Barefoot College founder Sanjit Bunker Roy, who dedicated more than five decades to rural development and women’s empowerment, died at his home in Tilonia, Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, on Tuesday morning. He was 81.

Roy breathed his last at 6.15 am in the presence of his wife, noted social activist Aruna Roy, and others close to him, according to a statement issued by people associated with him.

“Bunker Roy passed away peacefully at 6.15 am this morning with Aruna and others around him. He went as he wanted to, in his own home in Tilonia, surrounded by some of the countless people who loved and cared for him deeply and passionately,” the statement said.

Activist Nikhil Dey said Roy’s funeral would take place in Tilonia at 4 pm.

Founded Barefoot College in 1972
Roy established the Social Work and Research Centre, popularly known as Barefoot College, in Tilonia in 1972. What began as an initiative in a Rajasthan village gradually developed into an internationally recognised institution focused on rural development and community-led solutions.

His approach was rooted in the belief that villagers, including those without formal education, could acquire technical skills and address challenges within their own communities.

Barefoot College trained rural residents in areas such as solar energy, water conservation, education, healthcare and livelihood development. Women’s participation remained central to its programmes.

Empowering rural women through solar energy
One of Roy’s best-known initiatives involved training rural women, including those who had never attended school, to install and maintain solar lighting systems.

After receiving practical training, the women returned to their villages and helped provide electricity to households in remote areas. The programme subsequently expanded beyond India, bringing women from several countries to Tilonia for training.

The institution also undertook initiatives in rainwater harvesting, rural education, healthcare and the promotion of traditional crafts.

Education and Gandhian approach to development
Barefoot College’s education initiatives included night schools for children who could not attend regular classes because they worked or supported their families during the day.

Roy’s development philosophy drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas of village self-reliance. He believed rural communities should have the knowledge and skills to manage essential services rather than depend entirely on outside experts.

His work over more than five decades focused on strengthening local capacities and enabling rural communities to become active participants in their own development.

Roy’s passing marks the loss of a prominent figure in India’s grassroots development movement, whose work connected rural empowerment with practical skills, community participation and women’s leadership.