Samir Kumar Biswas was born in Khatura, a village in the Nadir district of West Bengal on 1 July 1929 and was educated at the St Xavier's College and the Medical College, Calcutta. He was always a meritorious student and graduated in 1954 and passed DOMS of Calcutta University in 1956. He then went to the United Kingdom where he obtained the FRCS and FRCS Ed in 1962, having obtained the DO London in 1961. He then returned to India where he was attached to the Eye Infirmary, Medical College, Calcutta for several years until he became Associate Professor and head of the department of ophthalmology of the Nilratan Sircar Medical College, Calcutta. Dr Biswas was a brilliant ophthalmologist, a very skilful surgeon, a keen academician and held in high esteem by his patients, students and friends. His complete dedication to the profession, genuine warmth and unassuming character made him loved by all who knew him. He was recognised internationally as an authority on corneal grafting and an operation performed by him was televised by the BBC, showing the high esteem in which he was held. He worked for a time at the Retina Foundation, Boston, and at the Ad de Rothschild, Paris. He was also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. B H Dohlman and he developed a new variety of keratoprosthesis. He was an enthusiastic member of the All India Ophthalmological Society. Biswas was a good organiser and established the Atul Ballav Eye Bank and Research Centre in the NRS Medical College, Calcutta. His premature death was an irreparable loss to Indian ophthalmology when he died of coronary thrombosis on 10 October 1974.