Professor Kameshwar Sahai Bhargava, son of Sri Janki Prasad Bhargava and Smt Gayatri Devi, was born on October 19, 1918 in Rewari, India. He married Shakuntala Devi who passed away in 1992. Professor Bhargava obtained Master’s and D.Phil. degrees in Botany, from University of Allahabad, and Ph.D. in Botany from University of London under the supervision of Sir Frederick Bawden in 1948. 

He had a long and distinguished career as an educator at several institutions of higher learning in India. In 1958, he joined as Professor and Head of the Botany Department, University of Gorakhpur. Prof. Bhargava also held the positions of Dean of the Faculties of Science and Agriculture, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. After retirement, he served as Director, College Development Council, University of Gorakhpur for three years. 

Professor Bhargava, made pioneering and path breaking contributions to Plant Virology in particular and Botany in general. He published more than150 papers in research journals and guided more than 30 Ph.D. students. Prof. Bhargava’s career was marked by numerous academic distinctions and honors. He was a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Sciences, India, and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. He was the President of the Indian Botanical Society, the Indian Phytopathological Society, and the Indian Virological Society. He was a recipient of the Panchanan Maheshwari Gold Medal of the Indian Botanical Society. As a mark of contribution of Professor Bhargava to science the Indian Virological Society instituted Prof. Kameshwar Sahai Bhargava Award in 2007 to recognize the life time contribution of scientists working in the field of Virology 

For the last 17 years, Professor Bhargava had been living with his son Bharat in Fishkill, NY and was a respected member of the Hindu Samaj of Dutchess County and an active member of the Indian community. He leaves his community and his family with a rich legacy of intellectual thought, inquiry and study.