Dr Sudhansu Bhusan Chattopadhyay was born on 1st November 1923 in a middle class family in a remote village in the district of Murshidabad. He passed Matriculation examination from University of Calcutta in 1937 with a government scholarship and I.Sc. in 1939 securing 4th position. Studying at Presidency College, Calcutta, he obtained B.Sc. degree with honours in Botany from University of Calcutta securing first position with a 1st class and a record of all-time highest marks in his subject. He also repeated the same feat and was a gold medallist in M.Sc. examination from University of Calcutta in 1943.

In 1945, he went to England with a State Scholarship for working in Imperial College under the supervision of renowned Plant Pathologist, Dr. Brown and obtained Ph.D. degree of London University in 1948 and also the D.I.C. diploma. Back to India, Dr. Chattopadhyay joined as Assistant Mycologist to the Govt. of West Bengal in 1948, being promoted to the post of Mycologist in 1953 at the State Agriculture Research Institute, Tollygunge, Kolkata. Simultaneously he also worked as a Professor of Plant Pathology at the newly formed State Agriculture College at Ramkuthi, Tollygunge, Kolkata.

In 1953, Dr. Chattopadhyay visited different Universities and Plant Pathological Research Stations of the USA to have a hands-on knowledge of the advancement of researches in Plant Pathology and disease management, which helped him in developing higher studies and research in Plant Pathology in his own state subsequently. He worked practically on all aspects of Plant Pathology (Fungal Plant Pathology, Bacteriology, and Virology).

Dr. Chattopadhyay took over the charge of Principal of the Agriculture College in 1960 and became the first Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kalyani in 1961 and started M.Sc, course in Plant Pathology, becoming the Professor of the first Postgraduate Department of the Faculty. Not to speak of Plant Pathology alone, Prof. Chattopadhyay had a firm grip on almost all the subjects of agriculture. In the undergraduate courses he taught not only Plant Pathology but also Plant Physiology, Genetics and Plant Breeding, whenever required. In the early stage of the Plant Pathology Department, University of Kalyani, he single handedly taught 5-6 courses.

When the first agricultural University of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, was established in 1974, Prof. Chattopadhyay was a natural selection for the first Vice-Chancellor post. With hard work, efficient planning and with the help of some qualified, efficient teachers in different disciplines, he developed the University as a pioneer institute of higher learning and research in agricultural sciences, providing due attention for the development of agricultural farms and the Extension wing.

He was blessed with photographic memory which was his strength. He could memorize and recognize, even after a fairly long period, practically all the students, staff members and others he once met, with their detailed biodata. Prof. Chattopadhyay led a very simple life and freely mixed with persons of all strata.

Prof. Chattopadhyay guided 26 research students for Ph.D. degree (5 under University of Calcutta, 11 under University of Kalyani and 10 under Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya). He published over 150 research papers and wrote 4 books, including the revised edition of Dr B.B. Mundkur's "Fungi and Plant Disease" and one in Bengali. Before his death on 20th January 2004, he was busy writing another book. He was a versatile personality, a dedicated teacher of almost all subjects in Agriculture stream.

Prof. S.B.Chattopadhyay Memorial Award Lecture organized by IMS

Award Gallery