Siddhartha Shankar Ray

Siddhartha Shankar Ray Biography

Siddhartha Shankar Ray was an Indian politician of Indian National Congress party. He served as a barrister, Education minister of India and as the Punjab Governor. He also served as the Indian ambassador to USA and as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from the year 1972 to 1977.

Siddhartha Shankar Ray was born on 20^th October 1920. His father was a barrister in Calcutta High Court and member of Indian National Congress. His mother was Aparna Devi daughter of Chittaranjan Das. He married Maya Ray. His sister is Justice Manjula Bose. He studied at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School at Calcutta and then at Mitra Institutions. He attended Presidency College and University Law College.

He was selected as the student Under Secretary in the Calcutta University Institute Elections. He became the General Secretary of the Calcutta University Law College Union. He played for the Presidency College cricket team and won the inter-collegiate cricket championship in 1944. He got three double centuries and also was the Captain of the Presidency College Football Team.

He joined Calcutta bar in 1947. He became the junior Central Government counsel in Calcutta. In 1957 he was elected to the Bhowanipore Assembly and became the member of the West Bengal Cabinet. In 1962 he was elected an independent candidate to the state Legislative Assembly. He became the Union Minister of Education and Youth Services for the Government of India in 1966.

After the General election of 1972, he was made as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. He served in this position from 19^th March 1972 to 21^st June 1977. He served as the Governor of Punjab from 2^nd April 1986 to 8^th December 1989. In 1991 was sent as India’s Ambassador to United States. He stayed in USA from 1992 to 1996. He died on 6^th November 2010 at his age of 90.

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Updated: August 24, 2011