A. Vaidyanathan , Economist,  was educated in Chennai, and did his post-graduate studies in the U.S. After obtaining a Ph.D. from Cornell University, he worked for a few years (1956-62) as an Economist in the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, before joining the Perspective Planning Division of the Planning Commission. After a decade in the Planning Commission, and 3-4 years in the World Bank, he joined the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, and served as a Professor there for eight years. He continues to be an Honorary Fellow of the Centre. He moved to the Madras Institute of Development Studies in 1984. After his retirement in 1991, he continued there as Emeritus Professor till early-2005. Vaidyanathan’s research is concerned mostly with empirical analysis and interpretation of various aspects of Indian economy and society. He has studied and written on issues concerning planning and development strategy, agricultural and bovine economy, irrigation and water management, employment, poverty and quality of socio economic data. In addition to academic publications, he has written extensively on policy issues and is an active participant in public discussions on these matters.   In recent years, he concentrated on water-related issues. Three of his books on water have been published by Oxford University Press. Besides, he has also edited two collections on the same subject. He, along with J. Saravanan, has done a sample survey of sources and uses of household water consumption in Chennai (2004). Vaidyanathan has served on a number of Government Committees. He was chairperson of the Committee on Irrigation Pricing set up by the Planning Commission. He served briefly as a member of the Planning Commission in New Delhi and of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission.