[1] He was the founder of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in 1963, a social sciences and humanities research institute, based in Delhi[2] and Lokayan (Dialogue of the People), started in 1980 as a forum for interaction between activists and intellectuals.
[3] He was also associated with Indian Council of Social Science Research, International Foundation for Development Alternatives, and People's Union for Civil Liberties.
This phase culminated with the foundation of Lokayan - Dialogue of the People in 1980, a forum for interaction between activists, thinkers and intellectuals to talked about positive changes in the fields of religion, agriculture, health, politics, and education.
[7] He soon became associated with Citizens for Democracy, and People's Union for Civil Liberties, a human rights body established in 1976, where he remained General Secretary from 1982 to 1984, and subsequently its President.
An excerpt from the book was later included in the first volume of India Since the 90s series, The Hunger of the Republic: Our Present in Retrospect, edited by Ashish Rajadhyaksha.
[11] CSDS where he was an honorary fellow,[2] in 2004 established The Rajni Kothari Chair in Democracy in his honour, funded by Ford Foundation and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
[citation needed] He died on 19 January 2015 at his residence at Patparganj in East Delhi following urinary tract infection and other age related ailments.