New Delhi: Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, the legendary social activist and educator who founded the Barefoot College, has died. He was 81.A note by fellow activist Nikhil Dey said that he passed away at 6.15 am on the morning of November 10. Roy is survived by his wife, the former civil servant and noted activist, Aruna Roy.Roy died in Tilonia, a village in Ajmer district in Rajasthan, where he set up the Barefoot College in 1972. A voluntary organisation, the Barefoot College worked in the fields of drinking water access, solar electrification, women’s empowerment, skill development, education, and healthcare. It was rooted in Gandhian principles of self-reliance, dignity and decentralisation. The institution, which started as the Social Work and Research Centre, was built on a radical belief: the knowledge, skills and wisdom of rural communities are powerful resources for their own development.Under his leadership, Barefoot College pioneered community-led approaches to rural development across areas. One of its most transformative initiatives has been the training of rural women, many of whom have never had formal education, as solar engineers. Popularly known as the ‘Solar Mamas’, these women have brought electricity to remote communities across the world, challenging conventional notions of education, expertise and leadership.Dey’s note says that at the time of his passing, Roy was “surrounded by some of the countless people who loved and cared for him deeply and passionately and admired him for his extraordinary lifelong contribution to people, society, India, and the planet.”In 1986, Roy was conferred the Padma Shri.In 2010, he was named one of Time 100‘s ‘100 most influential personalities’.Condolences have poured in.Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot wrote, “Guided by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles, he made remarkable contributions to rural self-reliance, education and various areas of development. His entire life was dedicated to empowering villages and bringing positive change to the lives of disadvantaged communities.”Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “His extraordinary vision of training rural grandmothers into “Barefoot Solar Engineers” illuminated thousands of off-grid homes across India and the developing world, leaving behind an indelible legacy of dignity, community empowerment, and environmental stewardship.”Congress’s Jairam Ramesh also noted in his condolence post, “He played a key role in creating vast new opportunities for what were then called voluntary agencies in development schemes and programmes.”Bunker Roy (1945–2026)Bunker Roy has died in Tilonia, the village he chose over every comfort his birth had promised him.I have been to Tilonia and seen the Barefoot College at work. It rested on an idea most of us with degrees still struggle to accept: that the poor are not a problem waiting for experts, but people with knowledge of their own. He proved it by turning grandmothers who could not read into solar engineers.India has lost one of the few men who took Gandhi literally.We will praise him today. The harder tribute would be to believe what he believed.— Amitabh Mattoo (@amitabhmattoo) November 10, 2026Communist Party of India’s D. Raja said, “For over five decades, he dedicated his life to empowering rural communities, challenging inequalities and building self-reliance among the most marginalised. His contribution to grassroots empowerment will remain an enduring legacy.”Author Amitav Ghosh called him a “true hero and pioneer.”Bunker Roy, who has just passed away, was a true leader who chose to locate himself in rural Rajasthan and train barefeet women into tech engineers. Their understanding of solar power was so exceptional that countries in Africa called them over.— pamela philipose (@pamelaphilipose) November 10, 2026