New book revives R D Karve's work on sex education, women's rights

In the foreword, author, journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar describes Karve as "a maverick, a rebel and a social revolutionary born ahead of his time."

R D  Karve: The Champion of Individual Liberty

by Anant Deshmukh

Published by Penguin

282 pages   ₹599

  A controversial figure in his time in Maharashtra, Raghunath Dhondo Karve championed the importance of sex education, sexual autonomy, birth control, and the science of lovemaking. He also stood firmly for individual rights, bodily autonomy and freedom from regressive societal norms. Originally written in Marathi by Anant Deshmukh and translated by Nadeem Khan, a new meticulously researched biography on Karve brings to light an important figure from Indian history about whom many people may not know. 

Born to Dhondo Keshav Karve, a social reformer who advocated women’s