Professor Arvind M. Shah (1939-2020)[1] retired from his professorship in the Department of Sociology at the University of Delhi in 1996. He had been a student of M. N. Srinivas in 1952 and became a teacher in sociology at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, in 1958. He moved to the University of Delhi in 1961.[2]
According to Hetukar Jha, Shah wrote the first paper on the sociological history of India.[3] He was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award from the Indian Sociological Society (ISS) in 2009.[4] He had held the office of ISS President in 1992-93 and had been secretary, sometimes jointly, from 1967 to 1972.[5]