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Draft:Asoke K. Ghosh

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Asoke K Ghosh

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Born: Oct 31, 1942 in Kolkata, India

Died: Feb 1, 2024 in New Delhi, India

Occupation: Publisher

Founded: PHI Learning Private Limited

Spouse: Sagarika Ghosh in March 1972

Children: 2

Asoke K. Ghosh, the founder of PHI Learning, is known for improving educational access in India and internationally. According to FIP (Federation of Indian Publishers), his vision focused on providing affordable and high-quality educational resources to students. He aimed to internationalize higher education publications and support academic growth globally.

Through PHI Learning, he pioneered the publication of affordable editions of foreign books under the company’s own Eastern Economy Editions (EEE) imprint, making university-level textbooks more accessible.

Personal Life

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Early Life

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Born and brought up in Kolkata, West Bengal, Asoke K. Ghosh graduated from the University of Calcutta and held a degree in Printing Technology and Graphic Arts from Jadavpur University. He obtained his Management degree from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), University of Delhi.

Ghosh began his career at a very young age in a printing press. From here, he worked his way up to newspaper publishing at the Times of India Group and, finally, came into book publishing.[citation needed]

According to his friends and family, Asoke K. Ghosh was an intellectual person, referred to as 'kind and always ready to help'.

Family and Relationships

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Ghosh was described by his colleagues as being committed to improving the quality of education in India and globally. He was known as a competent orator and frequently spoke at events within the academic publishing community. He often expressed his belief in making high-quality education accessible to all Indian students.

While dedicated to uplifting Indian students, he also expressed a belief in educating girls to provide them with better opportunities in a country where the education of girls was not always prioritized.

Ghosh was involved in philanthropy through the Rimjhim Ghosh Foundation. He was an active Rotarian for nearly five decades, having served as District Governor.

His wife, Sagarika Ghosh, his daughter, Pushpita Ghosh, and his two granddaughters, Pallavi and Aditi Ghosh, are involved in PHI Learning and continuing his legacy.

Philanthropic Efforts

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Service in Rotary

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As a Rotarian since 1973, Ghosh served as District Governor of the Rotary Club of India in 2000-2001. Rotary presented him with several awards, including the 'Citation for Meritorious Service,' 'Service Above Self Award,' and 'Distinguished Service Award'. Ghosh has also served Rotary International as Rotary Foundation Programs Advisor.

PolioPlus

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Ghosh was actively involved in Rotary International's efforts to eradicate polio through organizing and participating in vaccination campaigns and advocating for global eradication efforts. He contributed USD 187,290.88 towards the polio eradication efforts by Rotary.

He was a Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level IV, a Benefactor of the Permanent Fund, and a Paul Harris Fellow. Additionally, he established an Endowment Fund in his and his wife Sagarika’s name.

Rimjhim Ghosh Foundation

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Established in memory of his daughter, Ipshita Ghosh, the Rimjhim Ghosh Foundation focuses on providing free education and healthcare services to underprivileged girl children. Beyond publishing, Asoke K. Ghosh’s Rimjhim Ghosh Foundation supports education and healthcare for underprivileged girls, reflecting his commitment to humanitarian causes. Ghosh has also promoted girl child literacy and education as a trustee of several charitable organizations.

Contributions to Academic Publishing

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Contributions to Indian Academia through PHI Learning

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Asoke K. Ghosh founded PHI Learning, one of the oldest academic publishing houses in India, in the early 1960s. His company published affordable editions of expensive foreign books, making them accessible to university students in India and other developing countries. PHI Learning published over 5000 titles under their Eastern Economy Editions imprint and established international publishing partnerships with Microsoft Press and MIT Press.

He was instrumental in introducing the first computer science book in India, "Principles of Computer Programming," by Prof. V. Rajaraman.

Contributions to the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP)

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As a founder-member of the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), Asoke K. Ghosh served as its President Emeritus.

He edited the commemorative volume "75 Years of Book Publishing in India (1947-2022)" and was involved in organizing and promoting the Federation of Indian Publishers' activities.

His efforts contributed to Delhi being declared the World Book Capital for 2003 by UNESCO. He received several awards from the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), including the 'Most Distinguished Publisher Award,' and the 'Lifetime Achievement Award'. for his services to Indian and international book publishing.

International Reach

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Asoke K. Ghosh has held significant positions in international publishing organizations, including being the first Indian and the sole Asian to serve as Vice-President of the International Publishers Association (IPA). He played a key role in organizing the IPA Congress in 1992 and again in 2018.

Awards

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  1. First IPA Champion Award —the first of this highest honour in IPA’s 125 years history. The award was presented by Mr. Hugo Setzer, Past IPA President during the 33 rd IPA Congress held in Jakarta, Indonesia in November 2022.
  2. His company, PHI Learning, under his leadership, has been conferred with the “Leaders in the Education Sector” Award organized by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce at the 6th Entrepreneur Leadership Awards 2022.
  3. The Simon Master Chairman’s Award — the most prestigious award in global publishing — conferred by The London Book Fair in partnership with The Publishers Association (2018).
  4. Life Time Achievement Award by FIP (2012).
  5. The Most Distinguished Publisher Award by FIP (1996).

Rotary Awards

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Rotary presented him with numerous awards for his selfless, dedicated services to the society. The most prominent awards received by him are:

  1. Distinguished Service Award (2009)- the highest award of the Rotary International
  2. Service Above Self Award (2007) by the Rotary International
  3. The Citation for Meritorious Service Award by the Rotary International.

See Also

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References

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