Bunker Roy, founder of Barefoot College, passes away

Sanjit “Bunker” Roy, the visionary social activist and educator who founded Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, died peacefully at his home in Tilonia on the morning of 10 November 2026 at the age of 81, in the presence of his wife, noted activist Aruna Roy, and others close to him.

Born on 30 June 1945, Roy studied at The Doon School in Dehradun, where he was a contemporary of Rajiv Gandhi, before going on to St Stephen’s College, Delhi. A former national squash champion, he later turned away from a conventional privileged path after witnessing rural distress during the Bihar famine, eventually settling in Tilonia in 1972 to start the Social Work and Research Centre, which became known as Barefoot College.

He became famous for a simple but radical idea: that formal degrees are not necessary for rural people to solve their own problems. Barefoot College trained villagers, especially illiterate and semi literate women, including grandmothers, in practical skills such as solar engineering, water management, education, and healthcare. Its best known initiative, the Solar Mamas programme, trained rural women from India and many other countries to become solar engineers who installed and maintained solar lighting systems in off grid villages, bringing electricity and dignity to thousands of homes across the developing world.

Roy’s work challenged the idea that expertise must come from outside or from formal qualifications. He received the Padma Shri in 1986 and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010. His approach continues to influence community led development and education models worldwide.

ScooNews mourns the passing away of a pioneer who showed that knowledge and capability live in every village, and that ordinary people can be empowered to transform their own lives.