Bharati Mukherjee (1942–2013) was born in North Calcutta, India. She served as vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University and was a former member of the West Bengal State Planning Board. She was a lifetime member of the Association for Asian Studies, the Indian Political Science Association, the West Bengal Political Association and the board of the Journal of Political Economy. She specialized in the study of the Indian government, women’s issues and the political philosophy of ancient India. Among the works she authored were: Kautilya’s Concept of Diplomacy: A New Interpretation; Political Culture and Leadership in India: A Study of West Bengal; Regionalism in Indian Perspective and Ancient Indian Political Philosophy.