Prof. André Béteille

Prof. Béteille's main interest, as a sociologist, has been on social analysis rather than social policy. To the extent that he has written on policy, his effort has been directed to policy analysis rather than policy prescription. His interest in the contradiction between norms and practices led Professor Béteille to study in some detail the nature and operation of institutions. He has lectured in many universities, and his books and papers have been published both in India and abroad. He is a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. In 2005 he was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the President of India. Professor Béteille has held a number of visiting academic appointments. He was Simon Fellow at the University of Manchester, Commonwealth Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley, Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study, Berlin and Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, Edinburgh. His published work covers a wide range of topics from political sociology to the sociology of religion.