Economic and Political Weekly
The Economic Weekly began its life in 1949 under the editorship of Sachin Chaudhuri. This publication started as a weekly journal focused on economic matters during the early years of independent India. It operated for seventeen years before undergoing a significant transformation. In 1966, the title changed to The Economic and Political Weekly. Krishna Raj took over editing duties shortly after this renaming and held the position for more than three decades. That long tenure helped establish the journal's reputation among Indian scholars. The Sameeksha Trust now publishes the periodical from Mumbai.
Gopal Guru served as editor from January 2018 until July 2023. He followed Paranjoy Guha Thakurta who had taken the role after C. Rammanohar Reddy resigned in 2016. Before that era, Krishna Raj led the journal for over thirty years starting in the late 1960s. Sachin Chaudhuri founded the magazine and edited it through the 1950s and 1960s. S. Mahendra Dev became the new editor in August 2023 following Guru's departure. These transitions reflect shifting priorities within the trust board. Deepak Nayyar chairs the Sameeksha Trust while D N Ghosh serves as Managing Trustee. Andre Beteille and Romila Thapar also sit on that governing body.
Amartya Sen contributed articles to the Economic and Political Weekly during its history. Manmohan Singh wrote pieces for the publication before becoming Prime Minister of India. Jagdish Bhagwati and Angus Deaton both published research within these pages. Kaushik Basu and Jean Drèze added their academic voices to the journal. The list extends to include Christophe Jaffrelot and T.N. Srinivasan among others. Prannoy Roy and Subramanian Swamy appeared as contributors alongside Ashok Gulati. Nirupam Bajpai and Mani Shankar Aiyar also wrote for the periodical. Romila Thapar and Jeffrey Sachs are part of this extensive roster of authors. These names represent some of the most prominent social scientists in the country.
The journal takes left-leaning positions in its editorials according to reports from The Hindu. It maintained a strong editorial stance with what one source called a social conscience. During the Emergency, the publication was harshly critical of Indira Gandhi government policies. State complicity in the 2002 Gujarat riots drew sharp criticism from the editors. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in West Bengal faced occasional critique for not being radical enough. The Caravan noted an obsession with intra-Marxist debate among the writers. Contributors range from free-market liberals on one side to Naxalite sympathisers on the other. This diversity creates a complex political landscape within each issue.
CAB Abstracts indexes content from the Economic and Political Weekly. Scopus also includes the journal in its database of academic materials. EPW licensed its material for non-exclusive use to three content aggregators. Contify disseminates content to LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters among other platforms. Factiva and JSTOR host the articles for their registered users. Gale Cengage and AcquireMedia receive distribution through Contify agreements. Securities.com and NewsBank access the material via these licensing deals. These arrangements ensure that scholars worldwide can access the research published weekly.
C. Rammanohar Reddy quit as editor in 2016 during a controversial move. Several academics expressed concern in an open letter following his departure. Jean Dreze resigned from the board shortly after that event. His successor Paranjoy Guha Thakurta also quit in 2017 after a specific article about the Adani Group was removed. The Trust stated he violated his position by responding to a legal notice without informing them. Various scholars questioned the Sameeksha Trust that runs the journal over this decision. Gopal Guru was appointed as the new editor in January 2018 to restore stability. This sequence of events highlighted tensions between editorial independence and trust oversight.
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Common questions
When did The Economic and Political Weekly begin publication?
The Economic and Political Weekly began its life in 1949 under the editorship of Sachin Chaudhuri. This publication started as a weekly journal focused on economic matters during the early years of independent India.
Who edited The Economic and Political Weekly from 2018 to 2023?
Gopal Guru served as editor from January 2018 until July 2023. He followed Paranjoy Guha Thakurta who had taken the role after C. Rammanohar Reddy resigned in 2016.
Which organization currently publishes The Economic and Political Weekly?
The Sameeksha Trust now publishes the periodical from Mumbai. Deepak Nayyar chairs the Sameeksha Trust while D N Ghosh serves as Managing Trustee.
What political stance does The Economic and Political Weekly take in its editorials?
The journal takes left-leaning positions in its editorials according to reports from The Hindu. It maintained a strong editorial stance with what one source called a social conscience.
Where can scholars access articles from The Economic and Political Weekly online?
CAB Abstracts indexes content from The Economic and Political Weekly and Scopus also includes the journal in its database of academic materials. Factiva and JSTOR host the articles for their registered users.