Jawhar Sircar

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Jawhar Sircar (born 22 March 1952 in Calcutta) is a prominent Indian civil servant, public intellectual, and Kolkata-based writer. He is known for shaping culture and media policy in India and for his long career in public service.

Sircar served as the Secretary in the Ministry of Culture from 2008 to 2012, the longest tenure in that post. He spearheaded reforms to modernize museums, archives, and libraries and helped expand India’s cultural exchanges abroad. For his work, he received recognition including the British Museum Medal. He later became Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster, from 2012 to 2016, overseeing a vast network of radio and television services. He also led the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union as its senior vice president.

In August 2021, Sircar was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha (the Indian upper house) to represent West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress. As a parliamentarian, he participated in debates, served on committees such as Information Technology & Communications, and pushed for media freedom, privacy protection, and scrutiny of digital surveillance. He also contributed to discussions on biodiversity and forest conservation acts.

In September 2024, Sircar resigned from the Rajya Sabha to join mass movements in West Bengal protesting government actions and corruption. He continues to support activists, civil society groups, and campaigns that defend pluralism, human rights, and cultural heritage.

Beyond his political work, Sircar has been a prolific researcher and writer on cultural, historical, and anthropological topics. His monograph The Construction of the Hindu Identity in Medieval Western Bengal: The Role of Popular Cults and his Bengali works on festivals and rituals are well regarded. He has published extensively in English and Bengali and has lectured widely on history, culture, and media.

Education and early career: Sircar studied at St. Xavier’s School, Presidency College, and Calcutta University, earning master’s degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology. He also studied at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sussex. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1975 and held key positions in West Bengal and at the central government, including in finance, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and culture. He has been affiliated with numerous cultural and research institutions and has been honored by various organizations for his contributions to public life and heritage preservation.