Jawhar Sircar

Jawhar Sircar, born on March 22, 1952, in Kolkata, West Bengal, to Nil Ratan Sircar and Namita Sircar, currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, representing the Trinamool Congress.

With a distinguished career spanning over four decades, Jawhar Sircar is a retired civil servant, having held the position of India’s longest-serving Culture Secretary. His expertise has been acknowledged by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who lauded him as an eminent and knowledgeable civil servant. He has represented India in various UN bodies such as UNESCO, UNIDO, and the World Heritage Committee multiple times.

Following his tenure as Culture Secretary, he served as the CEO of Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, overseeing All India Radio and Doordarshan, which encompassed nearly 50,000 employees and around 500 radio and TV stations. He resigned from this position in November 2016 due to differences with the government and has since been actively engaged in civil society movements.

Moreover, Jawhar Sircar has chaired the Board of Governors of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, a prestigious research and teaching institute in India. He is known for his significant contributions to research, particularly in the realm of politics and religion, with his Bengali book gaining widespread acclaim. His scholarly work, "The Construction of the Hindu Identity in Medieval Western Bengal," has been commended by historian Tapan Raichudhuri of Oxford University for its analytical depth and breadth of knowledge across diverse fields.

Additionally, he had the privilege of delivering the First Jamshed Bhaba Memorial Lecture at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Sircar has authored numerous articles for academic publications and newspapers. Many of his writings are available on his website and academia.edu profile.

Outside his professional endeavours, Jawhar Sircar has held positions such as President of Children's Little Theatre, Kolkata, and Vice-President of the Indian Lawn Tennis Association from 2010 to 2013.

On a personal note, he is married to Nandita Sircar, and they have one son. His net worth is recorded at Rs 5,16,15,870.