Bhabatosh Datta (21 February 1911 – 11 January 1997) was a noted Indian economist, academic and writer. He taught at
Chittagong College
Chittagong College is a government college in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is the second college established in Bangladesh after Dhaka College. It offers higher secondary education (HSC), bachelor's degree and master's degree.
History
Having begun ...
and later became Professor of Economics,
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata (formerly known as Presidency College, Kolkata) is a second major public state aided research university located in College Street, Kolkata. Considered as one of best colleges when Presidency College was affili ...
, where he later
Emeritus Professor.
In 1990, he was awarded the
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...
, the second highest civilian award, by
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
.
Early life and background
Datta was born in
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
, Bihar to Hemendra Kishore Datta and Jogmaya Datta. At the time, his father was a professor of Chemistry at
Bihar National College
Bihar National College is a constituent unit of Patna University. It is a multi-faculty college and offers courses in Science, Humanities, and Arts at graduate level. It is a post-graduate college but post-graduate teaching has been stopped for ...
, Patna. Thereafter, he did his schooling at various places, including
Daulatpur in
Khulna district
Khulna District ( bn, খুলনা জেলা , ''Khulna Jela'' also ''Khulna Zila'') is a district of Bangladesh. It is located in the Khulna Division. It is bordered on the north by the Jessore District and the Narail District, on the so ...
,
Mymensingh
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north- ...
followed by
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
, now in Bangladesh. At his Dhaka school, he edited the school magazine along with fellow student Buddhadeb Bose, who went on to become a noted poet. He completed his schooling from
Jagannath College Dhaka, and went on to earn B.A. (Hons.) in Economics and Political Science and M.A. Economics from
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata (formerly known as Presidency College, Kolkata) is a second major public state aided research university located in College Street, Kolkata. Considered as one of best colleges when Presidency College was affili ...
.
Career
He started his career by working briefly at
Chittagong College
Chittagong College is a government college in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is the second college established in Bangladesh after Dhaka College. It offers higher secondary education (HSC), bachelor's degree and master's degree.
History
Having begun ...
, and
Burdwan Raj College
Burdwan Raj College, established in 1881, is the oldest state-governed college in Purba Bardhaman district catering to the district and neighboring areas of Bankura district, Purulia district, Hooghly district and Birbhum district. It offers und ...
, ultimately his received an appointment at Ripon College, Kolkata, later known as
Surendranath College. Subsequently, he worked at Islamia College in Kolkata, later renamed
Maulana Azad College
Maulana Azad College, formerly Islamia College, is a public institute of liberal arts, commerce and science in India, located in central Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The college is fully government-administered. It is located near the junction of R ...
. In 1948, he went to England on a study leave to submit his doctoral dissertation at
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
after only two years. His dissertation was published in Calcutta as ''The Economics of Industrialization'' (1952). After his returned in 1952, he joined the
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata (formerly known as Presidency College, Kolkata) is a second major public state aided research university located in College Street, Kolkata. Considered as one of best colleges when Presidency College was affili ...
, now
Presidency University as Professor of Economics. The following year, he joined IMF as chief of South Asia division, however he returned to India in 1956, and rejoined Presidency College, where he continued to work till his retirement in 1962 as Head of the Department. Thereafter, he remained Emeritus Professor at the college, and started working in state education ministry, as he became Director of Public Instruction, Department of General Education and in 1965, Secretary of Education,
Government of West Bengal.
He also remained a member of
Fourth Finance Commission of India formed in 1964,
and also remained a member of the first working committee of
Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi
Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi ( bn, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ বাংলা একাডেমি) is the official regulatory body of the Bengali language in West Bengal, India. Modeled after Bangla Academy of Bangladesh and France's Acadé ...
, Kolkata.
Personal life
He married Amala Basu in 1939, she died in 1989.
Bibliography
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Datta, Bhabatosh
1911 births
1997 deaths
20th-century Indian economists
Economics educators
Scientists from Kolkata
Writers from Patna
University of Calcutta faculty
Presidency University, Kolkata faculty
Bengali-language writers
Emeritus Professors in India
Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education
20th-century Indian educational theorists