Jean Drèze urges T.N. govt. to take strict action amid report of ‘fake book’ at Kalaignar Centenary Library
“It is important to stem the rot before it spreads, all the more so if this book was AI-generated,” the economist said in a clarification via e-mail to The Hindu
Renowned economist Jean Drèze expressed concern on Sunday (November 8, 2026) over the discovery of an English-language book, allegedly authored by him, in some public libraries of Tamil Nadu. The book in question, titled 'Democracy and Peoples Right in the Contemporary World', was reportedly found in Madurai’s Kalaignar Centenary Library.
In response, Drèze clarified to The Hindu via email that he has never authored such a book, calling the publication 'fake'. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to take "strict and swift action against the publishers and other culprits" to curb the spread of such fraudulent literature. Drèze also questioned the procurement checks in place at public libraries, stating that it would have been relatively easy to verify the authenticity of the book before its procurement.
The book was allegedly purchased from Phoenix Publishers, whose address was claimed to be identical to that of Akal Vilakku Publishers. The procurement date stated in the report, June 25, 2023, occurred before the library's inauguration on July 15, 2023.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
