Bengaluru: M A Basith, member of the Rajinder Sachar Committee died this morning in the city. He was 69. He was Senior Director in the Department of Planning in Government of Karnataka when the Sachar Committee availed of his services.
He was hospitalized a few days ago after getting infected with Covid.
Basith played a leading role in Sachar Committee, the high power committee appointed by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to investigate the socio-economic conditions and educational backwardness of Muslims in India under the leadership of Justice Rajinder Sachar in 2005. It presented its report at the end of 2006. He worked closely with member-secretary Dr. Abusaleh Sharief who also hailed from Bengaluru.
Basith held an M.Sc degree in Statistics and had joined the Karnataka Government in 1970. Even after his retirement in 2012, his services were recalled by the Directorate of Planning. He again devoted a few years to the Education Dept which conducted evaluation of the education being imparted in Government Schools. It involved a survey of quality of education through interviews of 40 lakh students across the state studying from 4th to 9th standard.
In a condolence message, Mr. Abusaleh Sharief, who is currently in Washington D.C., said, I am deeply saddened at the news of death of Mr. Basith. He was one of the best brains contributing to Sachar report. I spent hundreds of hours with him deliberating and interpreting the data from Ministry of Social Welfare.
Mr. Basith leaves behind his wife and three daughters.
M A Siraj is Bengaluru based seasoned journalist who writes for a variety of newspapers including The Hindu, and news portals.