Dr. Kalidas Mitra 

MBBS (Cal), Founder Director (1960 - 1967)

Dr K Mitra, JBNSTS's founder Director was a distinguished physician ,an expert in Tropical Medicine and Fellow of the National Institute of Science. An achievement which stands to his credit is the setting up of the Nutrition Research Laboratory in Patna.  At the time of the Bengal famine in 1943-44 he helped devise a balanced dietary plan for the famine stricken, which was then not in common use as items of traditional diet.  Mitra's work in studying the nutritional food habits of Bihar led him to take up the post of Director of Nutrition in the Ministry of Food in 1945 and subsequently at the Directorate General of Health Services, New Delhi till 1958. 

Prof. Mitra was handpicked for the task of setting up the JBNSTS Scholarship Scheme. As he had retired from active service by then, he was able to devote his whole-hearted attention to program development. Thus the first objective tests to be administered in India were drawn up, and the first batch of scholars selected under his able guidance. In the eight years that he held this important position he remained committed to social and educational development of the institution with his organizational and administrative ability which afforded him to play a vital role in the science planning  and education of the country. Later he was invited by the Government of India to draw up the selection procedure of the Science Talent Search of National Council of Educational Research and Training, Government of India. JBNSTS thus became the forerunner of the All-India Talent Search Scheme.  

Dr. Mitra died of a stroke in 1968. The senior scholars of his time will remember him as a fatherly figure but also a strict disciplinarian.