Professor Amarnath Bhaduri

Professor Amarnath Bhaduri
Nov 12, 1935-June 5, 2003
Prof Amarnath Bhaduri an eminent biochemist passed away on June 5th after a brief illness. He was 67. He belonged to a family of academics and was a fourth generation student of Chemistry in the Presidency college of Calcutta. Prof Bhaduri, after receiving his Masters degree from university of Calcutta completed his DSc from the University of Michigan after which he pursued post doctoral research at Harvard Medical School. After returning to India he joined Jadavpur University in the Department of Pharmacy where he served for nearly 20 years. Later he joined Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and was made the director of Indian Insitute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta.
For his outstanding contribution in the field of science, he was conferred with Shantiswaup Bhatnagar, the most prestigious civilian science prize awarded by the President of India. Prof. Bhaduri became an honorable fellow of Indian National Scinece Academy (INSA), Indian Academy of Science (IAS) and National Academy of Science (NAS). He also served as the expert advisor and Asian coordinator for UNDP and WHO, in the field of Leishmania research. He received many other awards and prizes including J C Bose Memorial medal and a D.Sc (honorary causa) from Burdwan University for his accomplishments in scientific exploration.
His legacy is not only marked by pioneering research in the field of biomedics, but also through being a lifelong educator who deeply cared about each one of his many students. Later in his career, he also became an important science administrator who worked untiringly to create a science culture and self-reliant scientific infrastructure in India. He was invited to work collaboratively by many foreign universities and traveled extensively in Europe, Southeast Asia, U.S.A. China, Australia etc. to broaden his human and scientific horizons.
Outside his professional life, Dr Bhaduri was an avid reader, enjoyed poetry, classical music, both eastern and Western and a good meal with family and friends. He was also an enthusiastic patron of art and local artists. He enjoyed sports and played first class cricket for many years. He firmly believed in the Marxist ideology as a social force and became a platform politician for a short span of his career, representing his local constituency as a Corporation Councilor, for the Communist Party of India.

He will be fondly remembered for his keen mind, a kind heart and a great love for learning and teaching. He had an infectious zest for life, an amiable disposition and a positive attitude that left a lasting impression on everyone lucky enough to know him. A man of great integrity, honor and a cherisher of human values, Dr. Bhaduri will be greatly missed by all those whose lives he touched. His life was driven by compassion for fellow human beings and a commitment to a lifelong pursuit of Science.

The entire Indian scientific community is mourning the untimely death of this dedicated educationist and remarkable humanitarian.
A celebration of his life will be held Friday, June 20, 2003 in Calcutta.