Romesh Chunder Dutt (R.C. Dutt) was a distinguished Indian civil servant, economic historian, writer, and political figure. He was one of the early Indians to join the Indian Civil Service (ICS). He authored significant works, including influential economic critiques of British rule and condensed English verse translations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. He was also active in political life, serving as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1899, and contributed to cultural institutions like the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad.