B. A. Prakash obtained his M A and PhD in Economics from University of Kerala. He started his career as Lecturer in Economics in the University of Calicut in 1976 and became a Professor at the age of 42. In 1999, he moved to University of Kerala as Professor of Economics. He has been the recipient of two prestigious Fellowship of Indian Council of Social Science Research (1980-82) and Career Award of the UGC (1986-89) and was Visiting Fellow at Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram. Currently Professor Prakash is the Head of the Department of Economics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. He is also the Director of the Cost of Cultivation Scheme of the University, a statewide agricultural data collecting agency of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. He was member of five working groups/task force of the State Planning Board between 1989 and 2005. He has conducted studies on Keralite e migration to the UAE, performance of Local Self Government Institutions for the Government of Kerala and Third State Finance commission. Currently he is member of the Governing Body of CDS, Advisory Committee on CDS Research Unit on Migration, Regional Consultative Committee of NABARD and Board of Studies of Cochin University of Science and Technology.