Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee and held a “healthy and extensive” interaction on various subjects.
Banerjee, an Indian-born American professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has won Nobel in economics, jointly with wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.
Excellent meeting with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee. His passion towards human empowerment is clearly visible. We had a healthy and extensive interaction on various subjects. India is proud of his accomplishments. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours. pic.twitter.com/SQFTYgXyBX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 22, 2019
“Excellent meeting with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee. His passion towards human empowerment is clearly visible. We had a healthy and extensive interaction on various subjects. India is proud of his accomplishments. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours,” Modi said in a tweet, sharing a picture from their meeting.
Banerjee, speaking to the media after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today said he would not get into controversial statements because he had been warned - by the Prime Minister.
"I had a cordial and good meeting. PM Modi started by cracking a joke on how media is trying to trap me to say anti-Modi things... He's been watching the TV and he's been watching you guys. And he knows what you are trying to do," Abhijit Banerjee remarked. He had been asked about the meeting taking place against the backdrop of a debate over his comments on an economic slump.
Dr Banerjee, who shares the 2019 Economics Nobel with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer, also said that the banking crisis "is critical and frightening".
"The crisis is critical and frightening and we should worry about it. We need some important and aggressive changes," he said.