A retired professor of organisational behaviour at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, Chhokar co-founded ADR in 1999, alongside his colleagues, to push for transparency and accountability in Indian politics.

Jagdeep S Chhokar, co-founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and a tireless advocate for clean elections, dies in Delhi on Friday after suffering a heart attack. He was 80.

A retired professor of organisational behaviour at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, Chhokar co-founded ADR in 1999, alongside his colleagues, to push for transparency and accountability in Indian politics.

Under his leadership, ADR played a pivotal role in landmark judicial interventions, including the 2002 Supreme Court judgment mandating candidates to disclose their criminal records, assets, and qualifications, and the 2024 ruling that struck down the Electoral Bonds scheme.

Born on November 25, 1944, Chhokar began his career in the Indian Railways before moving to academia. He earned his MBA from Delhi University’s Faculty of Management Studies and later a PhD from Louisiana State University in the US. He joined IIM-Ahmedabad in 1985, serving as dean and director-in-charge before retiring in 2006.

Tributes poured in from political leaders, academics, and activists. Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi remembered him as a “crusader for clean elections.”

Ashok Lavasa praised ADR’s “yeoman service” under his leadership. Activists including Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Harsh Mander, and Teesta Setalvad hailed his integrity and lifelong commitment to democracy.

RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha described his passing as “the silencing of a conscience that spoke relentlessly for the integrity of India’s democracy.”