Bunker Roy 1945 – 2026

Biography

Sanjit “Bunker” Roy was an Indian social activist and educator who founded the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, in 1972, training illiterate rural women — the celebrated “Solar Mamas” — as solar engineers, water technicians and health workers. Born in Burnpur on June 30, 1945, he gave up a privileged career to live among villagers, building an institution that spread to dozens of countries. He was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and received the Padma Shri in 1986. He died peacefully at his home in Tilonia on November 10, 2026, aged 81, survived by his wife, the activist Aruna Roy.