Jogen Chowdhury, painter and former Rajya Sabha MP, dies at 87
Why in the news
Jogen Chowdhury, one of India’s best-known contemporary painters and a former Rajya Sabha member, died on the morning of 25 October 2026 at a private hospital in Kolkata. He was 87 and had been ill for a long time.
Key facts
- Birth: 1939, Faridpur (now in Bangladesh); he shifted to Kolkata after Partition.
- Training: studied at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, and later trained in Paris.
- Award: Kalidas Samman in 2001.
- Posts: Keeper of Art at Rashtrapati Bhavan; professor at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.
- Politics: represented West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress member from 2014 to 2020.
Profile at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939, Faridpur |
| Died | 25 October 2026, Kolkata (aged 87) |
| Major honour | Kalidas Samman (2001) |
| Rajya Sabha | 2014-2020, West Bengal (TMC) |
About the Kalidas Samman
The Kalidas Samman is presented by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and was first given in 1980. It is named after the ancient Sanskrit writer Kalidasa and originally covered classical music, classical dance, theatre and plastic arts. Chowdhury’s award (2001-02) was in the plastic arts category.
Exam angle
- Obituary questions often ask for the person’s field, award and state.
- Remember: Kalidas Samman 2001 and Keeper of Art at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Kala Bhavana is the art institute of Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan.