Arun Kumar Sharma (1924 – 2017), popularly known as AKS, was an Indian cytogeneticist, cell biologist, cytochemist and a former Sir Rashbehary Ghose Professor and Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Kolkata, College of Science and Technology.

[7] Arun Kumar Sharma was born on the last day of 1924 in Calcutta in British India (now Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal ) to Charu Chandra Sharma–Shovamoyee couple.

He graduated (BSc) in Botany, studying on a half-free scholarship[note 1] in 1943 and followed it up with the master's degree (MSc) from Rajabazar Science College in 1945.

His studies proved that organogenesis, differentiation and reproduction return variable chemical composition of chromosomes while maintaining the genetic skeleton.

[23][note 3] Sharma was the founder of the Centre for Advanced Study on Cell and Chromosome which was established during his tenancy as the head of the department of Botany at the University of Kolkata.

[8] Sharma, who was selected for the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship for hs project on Chromosomes in Relations to Development and Differentiation in Higher Plants in 1972,[29] received the Paul Bruhl Memorial Medal by the Asiatic Society the same year.

[31] The University Grants Commission selected him as a National Professor in 1977 and he received the FICCI Award of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 1979.