Sudipta Sengupta obtained both BSc and MSc with top honours from the Jadavpur University and PhD (1972) also from Jadavpur University under the supervision of Subir Ghosh. Thereafter, she worked as Geologist in the Geological Survey of India (1970-73). After which she carried out postdoctoral research at the Imperial College, London for next three years. In 1977, she taught at the Institute of Geology, Uppsala University as Docent for six months and thereafter as Visiting Scientist, International Geodynamics Project, supervised by Hans Ramberg. On her return to India in 1979, she joined the Geological Survey of India as Senior Geologist and then moved to Jadavpur University as Lecturer (1982) where she is now Professor.

Academic and Research Achievements: While carrying out research in structural geology, Sengupta studied the structure of varied Precambrian terrains, including Peninsular India, Scottish Highlands, Scandinavian Caledonides and East Antarctica. Her noteworthy studies include deformations of pebbles, deformation of rigid and deformable inclusions in a ductile matrix, folding of boudinaged layers, development of shear zone structures, localization of shear zones at the margins of rigid bodies, modifications of early lineation by later folding, analysis of transpressional deformation from geometrical evolution of mesoscopic structures, and opening and closing of folds in superposed deformations. In 1983, she was selected member of the Third Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and conducted pioneering geological studies in the Schirmacher Hills of East Antarctica. In 1989, she visited Antarctica for the second time where her investigations became the basis of further research in the area.

Other Contributions: Sudipta Sengupta has been on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Structural Geology since 2002. She edited the book Evolution of Geological Structures in Micro- to Macro-scales which contained contributions from eminent structural geologists of the world. She also authored a book in Bengali on her travels and work in Antarctica which became best seller in West Bengal. She served as a Committee Member of International Union of Geological Sciences Task Group on Tectonics and Structural Geology. She became a trained mountaineer and joined several expeditions to Himalayas. She is a Member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. She also served as Member, INSA Council (2001-03).

Awards and Honours: Professor Sudipta Sengupta received the SS Bhatnagar Prize (1991), National Mineral Award (1997), Antarctic Award (2001) and Career and Profession Award of Ladies Study Group (1986).