Professor Indraratna - A distinguish Economist turns 80

by Lloyd F. Yapa

Professor ADV de S Indraratna, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Colombo will be felicitated on January 17, at the BMICH at 4.15 p.m. on attaining his 80th birthday on December 18, 2007 and completing 55 years of service to our country.

Indraratna hails from Hikkaduwa in the deep south of Sri Lanka from where great scholars of fame such as Totagamuwe Sri Rahula and Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala originated. He had his secondary education at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda, earning several double promotions and carrying away the largest number of awards at every annual prize giving of the school. He had finished his entire school education there, starting with grade 3 in 1943 and passing the HSC in 1947, a unique achievement. He entered the University of Ceylon (Peradeniya) in 1948, graduated in Economics (Honours) in 1951 and was appointed an Assistant Lecturer in Economics in 1952. As a student myself, I remember he was a popular lecturer for the thoroughness and clarity of his presentations (and among the girls for his good looks).

He did his post graduate studies at the University of Birmingham, where he excelled and was awarded the Best Performance at the Graduates' Diploma in Commerce Examination, 1956. He earned the degree of M. Com. in a record time of one and half years in December 1957 on the thesis titled "The Economic Development of a Primary Producing Export Economy - Experience and Possibilities of Ceylon, the first research study in Development Economics, to my knowledge, done by a Sri Lankan.

Professional achievements

Professor Indraratna was appointed the Professor of Economics at both the University of Colombo and Vidyodaya, in 1968, but he preferred to stay at the former, his Alma Mater. Later he was elevated to the position of Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the same seat of learning. As a lecturer and professor he pioneered the study of demography (he was the Founder Director of the Demographic Training and Research Unit of the University of Colombo), accountancy, commerce and above all the teaching of economics in Sinhala, when skeptics argued that Economics cannot be taught in the vernacular. It is no surprise then that he has helped to produce some twenty thousand students of economics, commerce and related disciplines, mainly from poor rural backgrounds. Many of these persons have been and today are adorning high positions of importance and influence not only in academia, but also in higher echelons of every sphere of State activity, as well as in the private banking and business sector.

He has been in demand by foreign academic institutions as well, because of his erudition and scholarship. He was a V isiting Professor at Keio University, Tokyo, and the University of Western Sydney, Australia and Guest Lecturer at the University of East Anglia and of Birmingham University. He was also attached to the University of Sierra Leone as Professor of Economics for a longer spell under a technical co-operation programme sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund; in addition he was Advisor to the Minister of Planning and Development there. He has travelled widely and has made presentations at many international fora.

Research and publications

He, however, never pursued foreign assignments like most other Sri Lankan professionals and always wanted to be at his personal mission - that of looking after the interests of students and working for the underprivileged in his beloved country through whatever government in power and whatever institution, public or private. Despite the many assignments thrust on him, he has found time to undertake research and write prolifically both in English and Sinhala. He wrote the"Mila Niyaya" (the Price Theory) the first text book in Economic Theory in Sinhala for university students. Altogether he is the author of more than 25 books or chapters of books; his contributions to prestigious journals, seminar and country papers exceed 70 in number. He has also written many reports for local and international organizations like the UNIDO, FAO, UNESCO and USAID, the latest of which is on "The Impact of Corruption on Poverty and Economic Growth" with special reference to Sri Lanka, (along with a few other researchers).

Institutional building

He resigned from the University of Colombo in 1980 and subsequently served as the Director, Planning of the University Grants Commission for 12 years introducing many innovations such as corporate planning and the annual statistical handbook. He has served the University System with distinction, utmost honesty, loyalty and commitment .

He was much sought after as an advisor and served in many public and civil society institutions, committees and commissions such as the National Prices Commission, the Boards of the National Savings Bank, the Sri Lanka Marketing Federation, various Wages Boards, the General President of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (1998), Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka and Life member and Past Vice-President of the Organization of Professional Associations. He was Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission in 2003 and is presently a member of the National Economic Council, and Chairman of the Monetary Policy Consultative Committee of the Central Bank.

He has been the President of the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA) for the last four years and was re-elected unanimously for the fifth year as well. Under his guidance the SLEA has been contributing immensely to economic thinking, research, writing and formulation of development policies through a regular stream of publications, seminars and public lectures. SLEA publications under his editorship include Human Development in a Knowledge - based Society: the Sri Lankan Scene(2004), Public -Private Sector Partnership in Economic Development: a Case for Sri Lanka (2005), Global Free Trade vs. Trade Agreements: a Case for Sri Lanka (2006) and Inequity, Poverty and Development (2007).

Local and international recognition

His long lasting contribution towards the advancement of the study of economics and fashioning of Sri Lanka's Economic thinking and policy making and national development in general, and his advocacy for amelioration of poverty by elimination of waste and corruption, in particular, in this country, over a career spanning 55 years has already been recognized by the Sarvodaya (Sarvodaya Trust Fund National Award 1995), the University of Colombo (the conferment of the D. Lit. Degree, 1996) and the American Biographical Institute (appointment as an Hon. Advisor, 2004).

Even at the ripe old age of eighty he keeps himself healthy and fit and devotes most of his time and personal resources to pursue his mission of serving the nation, with a large coterie of colleagues from various institutions.

He has been a hard task master but evinces enormous compassion when needed. It is this quality that has enabled him to accomplish whatever tasks he has undertaken, successfully and on time. I was, in fact amazed, how amidst all his work, he managed to take time off to steer two projects to build four houses for the tsunami affected people in Seenigama, and construct a library building for the Tsunami affected Piyaratana Vidyalaya in Dodanduwa, one of the oldest BTS Schools, and which was all done without any publicity up to this day. I personally always found it a challenge to work with him. He is in addition a devoted and happy family man and is very proud of his medical wife and three married children, two of whom are distinguished professionals abroad. He has seven grand children. I hear that all of them came together in Colombo to celebrate his Birth day.

Professor Indraratna will go down in history as a great teacher of economics, commerce and accountancy as well as a leading educationist, keen researcher, prolific writer and lucid presenter on any subject relating to the social sciences. He has many admirers and is fondly remembered by the grateful people of Sri Lanka, especially the galaxy of his students and well-wishers.

I wish our guru, Professor Indraratna, many more years to continue his mission of informing, educating and inspiring us.