Arun Kumar Dutta was born on the 20th of January, 1903 in Bhowanipore, Calcutta. His mother was Labanya Prova Dutta. His father, Bhupal Kurnar Dutta, belonged to a renowned family of Dacca, Bikrampur (now in Bangladesh) and worked as Manager, Ballhar State, till his last days. Arun Kumar had a brother Arup Kumar Dutta.
Arun Kumar Dutta completed his schooling from Kishori Lal Jubilee School, Dacca in the year 1919. In 1923 he passed his Bachelor of Science with First Class from Dacca Hall. In 1925 he passed his Master of Science in Physics coming First Class First in the Dacca University.
In 1933 Arun Kumar Dutta got his Doctor of Science degree in molecular spectroscopy under the guidance of Dr Meghnad Shah. In 1961 Dutta felt the need for research in solid state physics and he introduced solid state physics as a special paper in postgraduate course of Calcutta University.
After his Master of Science examination, Arun Kumar Dutta worked as Assitant Lecturer and Research Scholar in Dacca University. After that he worked in Midnapore College, West Bengal as Assistant Professor. From 1933 to 1936 Professor Arun Kumar Dutta worked in Bose Research Institute, Calcutta as Research Fellow.
In 1941 Professor Dutta joined the Physics Department of Calcutta University and worked there till 1944. In 1941 Professor Dutta joined the Physics Department of University of Delhi and worked there till 1944. In 1944 he was called to his Almamater, Dacca University. He worked in the University of Dacca as Reader from 1944 to 1948. From 1961 to 1968 he was Palit Professor of Physics and then Head of the Department of Physics in Calcutta University.
Arun Kumar Dutta was a man of high moral character. Administrative services could not attract him and he preferred teaching as a career and research as a profession.
In 1936 he married Smt. Juthika Dutta. They had 2 daughters and a son.
