Padma Shri Dr. T. K. Lahiri: A Life of Selfless Service in Medicine
Dr Tapan Kumar Lahiri, a Padma Shri awardee, dedicated his life to serving patients at BHU without ever taking a salary.
In today’s world where many people run after money and fame, some silent heroes still live among us—working quietly, selflessly, and changing lives. One such real-life hero is Dr. Tapan Kumar Lahiri, a well-known Indian heart and lung (cardiothoracic) surgeon, teacher, and author.
Dr. Lahiri was born on 3rd January 1941 in Calcutta, West Bengal. Today, he is 84 years old. He completed his higher studies in surgery in England, getting his FRCS in 1969 and MCh in Thoracic Surgery in 1972. These are top medical degrees for surgeons.
In 1974, he joined the Institute of Medical Sciences at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, as a lecturer. He started his job with a small salary of just ?250 per month. He never married and chose to dedicate his entire life to helping patients.
What makes Dr. Lahiri special is not only his knowledge but his kindness. In 1997, he stopped taking his full salary, which was over ?1 lakh with allowances. Instead, he donated it to help poor patients. Even after his retirement in 2003, he continued giving his pension—except for a small amount he kept for two meals a day. He gave the rest to BHU’s fund for underprivileged patients.
Dr. Lahiri was given the title of Professor Emeritus after retirement—a special honour for those who have given excellent service. He refused to take any extra money for this and lived simply in campus housing. Even in his old age, he used to walk to the hospital at 6 am, visit patients, and return home after his duty. He also came back in the evening for more work.
His discipline and punctuality were well known. People at BHU used to say they didn’t need a clock to know the time—Dr. Lahiri’s arrival was enough.
He believed patient care should come first. So, when important people like former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wanted to meet him, he politely said they should visit him in his OPD so that the patients would not be disturbed.
In 2016, Dr. Lahiri received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India for his great service to medicine. Many big hospitals in the USA offered him jobs with high salaries, but he refused all of them. He wanted to stay in India and help the poor.
Even though he retired long ago, Dr. Lahiri kept teaching and doing surgeries—only out of love for his students and patients. His life is a perfect example of true service. He never showed off, but quietly made a big difference in people’s lives.
Dr. Tapan Kumar Lahiri’s story teaches us that real greatness does not come from wealth or fame—it comes from helping others with love and honesty.
