Sushanta Kumar Dattagupta

Sushanta Kumar Dattagupta, known better as Sushanta Dattagupta,is an Indian Condensed matter physicist. Serving as a faculty member (later director) at the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata, Dattagupta was appointed Vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University. However, it was soon revealed that he was guilty of persistent sexual harassment of colleagues, financial impropriety and embezzlement. The charges were sufficiently serious to attract a high-level inquiry by the Government of India and on 15 February 2016, he was dismissed from his position as Vice-Chancellor of –Visva-Bharati University by the President of India.

Following the sacking, Duttagupta was charged with corruption. However, he was later cleared of all these charges by the court through an order dated April 2, 2018.

Sushanta Dattagupta,was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India on 19 December 1947 and graduated in Physics (BSc Hons), in 1965, from the University of Calcutta. His master's degree also came from the same university in 1967.The next year, in 1968, Dr. Duttagupta joined the Presidency College, Kolkata as a lecturer in Physics where he taught for one year. In 1969, Duttagupta went to the US to join the Brookhaven National Laboratory, St. John's University where did his doctoral research to obtain a PhD in Physics, in 1973. He continued in the US for three more years to work as a post doctoral fellow at the Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, till 1975, and later, at the University of Alberta, for a year.

Dattagupta returned to India in 1976 to join the Materials Science Laboratory, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu where he worked as a scientific officer till 1981. The next assignment was as the Reader at the School of Physics, University of Hyderabad which lasted till 1986, marking his return to teaching career. In 1986, Duttagupta was offered a job at the Jawaharlal Nehru University where he taught till 1999, first as a Professor and later as the Dean of the School of Physical Sciences.

He returned to his native place, Kolkata, in 1999, assuming responsibility as the Director of the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences and worked there till his departure from there in 2005, allegedly due to a scandal. This was followed by the Directorship of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata (IISER).

In 2011, Dattagupta was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University. On 15 February 2016, he was dismissed by the President of India. Following his dismissal, Dattagupta was charged under Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 with corruption. If convicted Duttagupta faces up to fourteen years' imprisonment.

When the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata (IISER) was established at Mohanpur, West Bengal, in July 2006, under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, Dattagupta was its first Director.

He has published his research findings as several books and published over 100 articles.

Dattagupta has also attended several national and international seminars to deliver the keynote addresses.

Dattagupta has held many positions, both on academic and organizational levels. He was the Vice President of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore during 2004-2009 and a council member of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad from 2001 to 2007, National Academy of Sciences from 2001 till date. He has held the chair of the national committees of the Indian National Science Academy for International Council of Science (ICSU) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and was the Vice Chairman of STATPHYS 22, an International Conference on Statistical Physics held in Bangalore in July 2004. he served as the Convener of the sectional committee on Physical Sciences of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore during 1999-2003. He was also a member of CSIR Emeritus Scientists Committee during 2002-04, research council of the National Physical Laboratory during 2001-06 and the membership committee of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) during 2004-06.

In 2004, a professor at the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, of which Professor Duttagupta was director, accused him of sexual harassment, a charge confirmed in March 2005 by a committee set up by the Science and Technology Ministry.

"It is a desecration of the holiest place for Tagore acolytes. I hope the Chancellor and Visitor would take note of this problem," Visva Bharati's former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rajat Kanta Ray, said.