India, Nov. 11 -- Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, the social activist who founded Barefoot College and spent more than five decades working towards rural self-reliance, women's empowerment and sustainable development, died on November 10, 2026, at his home in Tilonia, Rajasthan. He was 81.

Roy died peacefully at 6.15 am, surrounded by his wife, social activist Aruna Roy, and people close to him, according to a statement issued by the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC), the organisation he founded. His funeral was held in Tilonia on November 10.

Born in 1945, Roy abandoned the prospect of a conventional career after witnessing the devastating Bihar famine of 1966-67. Deeply affected by the experience, he travelled to Tilonia, a village in Rajas...