Claim: Amartya Sen has died.
Fact: Amartya Sen has not died; his daughter has denied reports.
On 10 October 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user @profCGoldin announced (archive) that Amartya Sen — a renowned Indian economist and Nobel laureate — had died.
“A terrible news. My dearest Professor Amartya Sen has died minutes ago. No words,” @profCGoldin wrote.
Fact or Fiction?
Sen has not died, his daughter confirmed (archive) in a post on X.
“Friends, thanks for your concern but it’s fake news: Baba is totally fine. We just spent a wonderful week together w/ family in Cambridge—his hug as strong as always last night when we said bye!” Nandana Sen wrote.
She added, “He is teaching 2 courses a week at Harvard, working on his gender book—busy as ever!”
Others — including News18’s East editor, Kamalika Sengupta, and The Wire Editor Seema Chishti — also called out the fake news here and here, while Pakistani journalist Beena Sarwar wrote she was there when the picture posted by Nandana Sen was taken.
I there when this pic was taken. #AmartyaSen talked about so many things, including our late friend #AsmaJahangir, who he called “one of the greatest human beings I ever met”. So encouraging and supportive as always of my ventures @southasiapeace @SapanNews @Asma_Jahangir ❤️ https://t.co/qkgDqTiNVq
— beena sarwar (@beenasarwar) October 10, 2023
It also appears that @profCGoldin is not the real account of American economic historian Professor Claudia Goldin, who was named the winner of the Nobel economics prize for her work on the gender gap.
Historically, much of the gender gap in earnings could be explained by differences in education and occupational choices. However, this year’s economic sciences laureate Claudia Goldin has shown that the bulk of this earnings difference is now between men and women in the same… pic.twitter.com/MGWou9hHZx
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2023
The user @profCGoldin joined X in May 2023. @PikaGoldin, another account that joined X in November 2013, looks much more authentic.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the false posts here, here, here, and here on Facebook, here, here, here, and here on X, and here, here, here, and here on Instagram.
Conclusion: Amartya Sen has not died, his daughter has confirmed.
Background image in cover photo: Mohnish Landge
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