Humayun Kabir

Background

Kabir was born on 22 February 1906 in Komarpur village near nangta para district town of Faridpur District currently in Bangladesh. His father, Khan Bahadur Kabiruddin Ahmed, was a Deputy Magistrate in Bengal.

Education

He came first, with star marks, in his matriculation examination in 1922. He was educated at Presidency College, Calcutta, completing his Intermediate in Arts (Iowa) in English with first class third, and Calcutta University, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master of Arts in English with first class first. He won a scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford where he completed his degree in "Modern Greats", id est (that is)

Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics with a first class in 1931.

Career

In English with first class first. In 1932, he was invited by Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan to join as a lecturer at the newly established Andhra University. Later, he was a Joint Adviser, Secretary and then Chairman of the University Grants Commission in Delhi.

He was the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Minister of India twice, under the Prime Ministerships of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

He was also Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs Minister. In 1965, Indira Gandhi offered him the Madras Governor"s post, which he declined.

Achievements

• He won a scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford where he completed his degree in "Modern Greats", id est (that is) Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics with a first class in 1931.

Membership

From 1956-1962, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha and from 1962-1969 he was a member of the Lok Sabha, representing Basirhat constituency in West Bengal.