Jyotish Chandra Sengupta obtained Dr Phil Nat (1928) from University of Heidelberg, Germany. He was Professor of Botany (1929), Senior Professor and Head, Botany Department (1939) and Principal (1950), Presidency College, Kolkata; Chief Botanist, Botanical Survey of India (1955); Administrator, Board of Secondary Education (1963); and later CSIR Emeritus Professor.

Academic and Research Achievements: Sengupta’s researches related to osmotic values and water absorption of common plants around Kolkata and Darjeeling, and also of mangrove vegetation in the Sunderbans. In collaboration with his students, he studied the effect of day length and temperature on the flowering of jute, mustard, soyabean and Sesamum plants. He demonstrated the relationship between leaf shape of Sesamum with photoperiod. He studied the hormonal control of fruit set and artifical induction of rooting. He also studied the effects of nutrient deficiency on the growth and fibre content of jute.

Other Contributions: Sengupta played a role in the setting up the Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, Kolkata. He also served as Member of the INSA Council and also the Asiatic Society. After the reorganization of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) Professor Sen Gupta took over its charge as its Chief Botanist and Head of the Department in 1955. It was during his time that the first four Regional Stations of the Survey were established. He got most of the old books on floras reprinted and made available to researchers, teachers and students, at highly subsidized prices. He took keen interest in development of regional herbaria, gardens, libraries and botanical musea. He also initiated action on the transfer of some important herbarium collections in the charges of state government to the BSI.

Awards and Honours: Professor Sengupta received the Paul Bruhl Memorial Medal of the Asiatic Society. He was elected President, Botany Section, Indian Science Congress (Once), Botanical Society of Bengal, Indian Society of Plant Physiology; and Secretary, Indian Society of Soil Science