Swapan Dasgupta
Encyclopedia
Swapan Dasgupta (born 3 October 1955) is a senior conservative Indian journalist. At various points in his career, he has held senior editorial posts at The Statesman
, The Telegraph
, The Times of India
, The Indian Express
and most recently India Today
, where he was Managing Editor till 2003. He has been published in The Pioneer, The Telegraph
, Dainik Jagran
, The Times of India
, The New Indian Express, Outlook, The Free Press Journal and several other newspapers and magazines. Along with Arun Shourie and Ashok Malik he is widely credited for breaking the left liberal stagnation in the Indian intellectual establishment.Over the last decade, he has acquired the fame of being one of the most frequently appearing faces on Indian television. He is seen in all major political debates featured in the English electronic media, and is well-known for appearing on NDTV's weekly segment, Politically Incorrect, with Mani Shankar Aiyar
.
in Calcutta
, where he was a contemporary of Chandan Mitra
and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. He went on to do a BA
degree in History at St. Stephen's College, Delhi
, standing second in Delhi University. He then went on scholarship to complete his MA in History at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies
) as well as his PhD. His completed his thesis in 1979, entitled "Local politics in Bengal, Midnapur District".
In 1982 he was appointed Junior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford
, for which he received the INLAKS Scholarship.
, he returned to India in 1986 and started off his journalistic career at The Statesman
. He worked in newspapers like The Times of India, The Telegraph and The Indian Express
before joining India Today
. He currently is a freelancer and resides in Delhi
with his wife Reshmi, also a journalist, and son, Soumya.
Mr. Dasgupta is a highly regarded journalist of English media. He has been appearing constantly on popular news channel like CNN-IBN, NDTV
and Times Now
to debate on current issues pertaining to India and international affairs.
His views on the recent Jammu crisis have also been significantly different from the majority of the establishment media in India. He has edited a collection of essays: Nirad Chaudhuri—The First 100 Years (Harper Collins, India) and is currently working on a biographical book on nationalist entrepreneur Walchand Hirachand
.
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
, The Telegraph
The Telegraph
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
and most recently India Today
India Today
India Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
, where he was Managing Editor till 2003. He has been published in The Pioneer, The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, Dainik Jagran
Dainik Jagran
Dainik Jagran is a Hindi language daily broadsheet newspaper in India. According to the IRS Q1 2010, Dainik Jagran ranks No. 1 among the dailies with a Total Readership of 54,254,000.-Overview:...
, The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, The New Indian Express, Outlook, The Free Press Journal and several other newspapers and magazines. Along with Arun Shourie and Ashok Malik he is widely credited for breaking the left liberal stagnation in the Indian intellectual establishment.Over the last decade, he has acquired the fame of being one of the most frequently appearing faces on Indian television. He is seen in all major political debates featured in the English electronic media, and is well-known for appearing on NDTV's weekly segment, Politically Incorrect, with Mani Shankar Aiyar
Mani Shankar Aiyar
Mani Shankar Aiyar is a former Indian diplomat who resigned from foreign service and became a politician working for Rajiv Gandhi in 1989-1991. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party and was the Minister of Panchayati Raj until he lost his seat in the 2009 Election...
.
Early life
Swapan Dasupta was born in Calcutta in 1955 into a Bengali family of the Vaidya (Boddhi)community. His father, S.C. Dasgupta, was the Chairman of Calcutta Chemicals, a well-known pharmaceutical company started by his grandfather, the Late K.C. Das. His mother, Rekha (nee Sen), was the daughter of the successful barrister Sushil Chandra Sen, author of India's first Companies Act, and after whom a road is named (formerly Nandan Road) in the posh locality of South Calcutta. He was educated at St. Paul's School, Darjeeling and later La Martiniere CollegeLa Martiniere Calcutta
La Martiniere Calcutta comprises two separate private schools in Kolkata, India. The schools were established in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin in 1836. They are day schools although they both have a small number of boarders...
in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, where he was a contemporary of Chandan Mitra
Chandan Mitra
Chandan Mitra is an Indian journalist, presently editor and managing director of The Pioneer newspaper in Delhi, India. He was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha during August 2003 to August 2009...
and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. He went on to do a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in History at St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St...
, standing second in Delhi University. He then went on scholarship to complete his MA in History at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
) as well as his PhD. His completed his thesis in 1979, entitled "Local politics in Bengal, Midnapur District".
In 1982 he was appointed Junior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
, for which he received the INLAKS Scholarship.
Career
After a brief stint as a Researcher at the University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he returned to India in 1986 and started off his journalistic career at The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
. He worked in newspapers like The Times of India, The Telegraph and The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
before joining India Today
India Today
India Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
. He currently is a freelancer and resides in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
with his wife Reshmi, also a journalist, and son, Soumya.
Mr. Dasgupta is a highly regarded journalist of English media. He has been appearing constantly on popular news channel like CNN-IBN, NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
and Times Now
Times Now
Times Now is a 24-hour English language news channel based in Mumbai and broadcast primarily in the South Asian region. The channel was launched in 2006 as a joint-venture of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., the publishers of The Times of India and Reuters. Arnab Goswami is the Editor-in Chief and...
to debate on current issues pertaining to India and international affairs.
His views on the recent Jammu crisis have also been significantly different from the majority of the establishment media in India. He has edited a collection of essays: Nirad Chaudhuri—The First 100 Years (Harper Collins, India) and is currently working on a biographical book on nationalist entrepreneur Walchand Hirachand
Walchand Hirachand
Walchand Hirachand Doshi was an Indian industrialist. He established India’s first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory.- Early life :...
.