Universities

• Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi, 2000 to 2005.
• Chairman, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 1987 to 1989.

Government

• Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and Secretary, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi, 1989 to 1991.
• Economic Adviser to the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi, 1983 to 1985.
• Member of the Indian Administrative Service, 1969 to 1973.

Commissions

• Member of the National Knowledge Commission, India, 2005 to 2009.
• Member of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, ILO, Geneva, 2002 to 2004.

Academic Affiliations

• Emeritus Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
• Honorary Fellow, Balliol College, University of Oxford.
• Distinguished Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi.
• Distinguished Fellow, South Centre, Geneva.
• Distinguished Professor, Council for Social Development, New Delhi.

Associations

• President, Indian Society of Labour Economics, 2015 onwards
• Conference President, Indian Society of Labour Economics, 2002.
• President, Indian Economic Association, 1995.

Trusts

• Chairman, Sameeksha Trust, 2005 onwards, and Trustee from 1992: Economic and Political Weekly is a Sameeksha Trust publication.
• Trustee, 2002-2012, and Chairman, Nehru Trust for Cambridge University, 2013 onwards
• Chairman, India National Trust for Education and Development, 2014 onwards.
• Member, Governing Council and Executive Committee, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, 2016 onwards.