AMN /

Renowned economist, agriculturist and stalwart farmer leader, passed away at his residence in Pune on Saturday. He was 81.  Mr. Joshi had been ailing for some days, was discharged from a city hospital earlier this month.

He was one of the tallest leaders to grace Maharashtra’s politics during the 1980s, Mr. Joshi, who hailed from Satara district in Western Maharashtra, worked with the Indian Postal Services for nearly a decade and served with the United Nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief on the demises of Sharad Joshi. In his tweet Mr. Modi said, Mr Joshi devoted his life to welfare of farmers and improving agriculture in the country.