‘People without degrees can be engineers and health workers’
Bunker Roy on his life's work
Bunker Roy: ‘I am happy to be a catalyst for non-violent ideas’
Civil Society News, New Delhi
Published: Nov. 10, 2026
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Bunker Roy, who passed away in Tilonia in the early hours of Tuesday, gave Civil Society a freewheeling interview, perhaps his last, on his life and work as he recovered from the debilitating effects of a stroke.
His Barefoot College had completed 50 years, a signal achievement for any voluntary organization. Based at Tilonia, in a corner of Rajasthan, it has found recognition for itself across the world.
By training rural people, particularly women, to address their own development needs, the college has shown that learning is not just about degrees. So much more impactful are the practical skills, innate abilities and traditional knowledge of communities. Acknowledged and put to good use, they can be empowering and transformational.
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