Nabaneeta Dev Sen was an Indian writer and academic. After studying arts and comparative literature, she moved to the US where she studied further. She returned to India and taught at several universities and institutes as well as serving in various positions in literary institutes. She published more than 80 books in Bengali: poetry, novels, short stories, plays, literary criticism, personal essays, travelogues, humour writing, translations and children's literature. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2000 and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999.

The Kamal Kumari National Award is an Indian Award given to individuals and groups in India for outstanding contribution to Art, Culture & Literature and Science & Technology. It was instituted by the Kamal Kumari Foundation in 1990 in memory of Kamal Kumari Barooah, the remarkable matriarch of the Khongiya Barooah family of Thengal, Assam. The foundation has till date a number of awardees. The first award was given to Sobha Brahma in 1991 in the category of Culture. The award carries a cash award of Rs. 200,000, a trophy and a citation.