Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to

Amartya Sen was awarded the 1998 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel specifically for his contributions to welfare economics [4]. His pioneering work in this field addressed fundamental problems related to social choice theory, the distribution of income, and the measurement of poverty [4]. Sen's research shifted the focus of economic development toward human capabilities and freedoms, arguing that development should be measured by the expansion of people's 'functionings' rather than just GDP [2]. He developed the 'Capability Approach,' which emphasizes enhancing individual well-being and empowerment [2]. His analysis of famines also demonstrated that such catastrophes are often caused by socio-economic factors and declining 'entitlements' rather than a simple lack of food availability. By integrating ethics with economics, Sen significantly enriched the theoretical discourse on social justice and human rights [1].

Sources

1. [2] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 3: Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment > Amartya Senra Sen's Capability Approach on Poverty > p. 41
2. [4] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/6273/1/The_Contributions_of_Professor_Amartya_Sen_in_the_Field_of_Human_Rights.pdf
3. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Human Development > Human Development > p. 14