Jean Drèze urges T.N. govt. to take strict action amid report of ‘fake book’ at Kalaignar Centenary Library

Economist Jean Drèze. File

Economist Jean Drèze on Sunday (November 8, 2026) said an English-language book attributed to him as the author and allegedly found in some public libraries of Tamil Nadu is “fake”.

The confirmation comes following a media report alleging that a title listed in Madurai’s Kalaignar Centenary Library may not have been authored by Mr. Drèze. The book which lists him as the author was identified as the title ‘Democracy and Peoples Right in the Contemporary World’’.

“I am foxed and baffled to read on social media that a book called Democracy and Peoples Right in the Contemporary World, attributed to me, has surfaced in some public libraries of Tamil Nadu. If this book exists under my name, it must be fake, because I have never authored such a book,” he wrote in a clarification issued to The Hindu via e-mail.

Mr. Drèze urged the Tamil Nadu government to take “strict and swift action against the publishers of this fake book and other culprits”. “It is important to stem the rot before it spreads, all the more so if this book was AI-generated,” he added.

The economist also raised questions on procurement checks in place at public libraries and said: “The issue is not just that a fake book was printed but also how it was procured by a public library. Surely it would have taken little effort to ascertain the authenticity of this book.”

According to the media report, the book in question was allegedly procured from Phoenix Publishers and carries a valid International Standard Book Number. It also further alleged that the address of Phoenix Publishers is the same as that of Akal Vilakku Publishers.

The procurement date cited in the report is June 25, 2023 before the inauguration of the library. Madurai’s Kalaignar Centenary Library was inaugurated on July 15, 2023, by the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

books and publishing / Tamil Nadu / India