Economist Nirmala Banerjee, mother of Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee passes away in city hospital; Mamata Banerjee condoles

Nirmala Banerjee was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. Her son, Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee landed in Kolkata airport this morning and went to the hospital. West Bengal CM, who went to visit Nirmala in the hospital yesterday took to her X handle to condole the death.

Kolkata: Nirmala Banerjee, mother of Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata on Friday. Nirmala, an economist was hospitalised after being injured from a fall at her home. Banerjee arrived in the city this morning after hearing about his mother's critical condition.

After landing in Kolkata airport Banerjee directly went to see his mother at the hospital in Mukundapur, where doctors said that she had passed away at 12.35 pm. He was accompanied by ministers Aroop Biswas and Indranil Sen and Ward 109 councillor Ananya Banerjee.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled her death. Yesterday, she visited the Nobel laureate's mother at the hospital and later informed that her condition is critical. "Deeply saddened at the demise of Prof. Nirmala Banerjee, renowned economist, and mother of Nobel laureate Prof. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee. She breathed her last today at Kolkata. I visited her at the hospital yesterday," Banerjee posted on her X handle.

Prof. Nirmala Banerjee was a student of the London School of Economics and a former Professor of Economics at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata. She was married to eminent economist late Prof. Dipak Banerjee of the Presidency College.

"I came to know Nirmaladi well and have many sweet memories now. Her demise is a great loss in our public life. My deep condolences to Abhijit, Aniruddha, other family members including Esther Duflo, as well as Nirmaladi's friends and students", CM added.

The chief minister was at the state secretariat Nabanna when she received a phone call about Nirmala's illness on Thursday and then contacted the Nobel laureate. "I have spoken to him many times. I heard that she fell and injured her head. She is very sick so I went to see her. In the past I saw her in such a good condition. She came to me and talked to me many times. Her condition is very critical now," she had told.

Nirmala was admitted under the supervision of Dr. Animesh Kar of the Neurology Department and Dr. Saurav Majhi of the Pulmonology Department. Hospital sources said she was unconscious since Thursday morning.