People, Positions and Obituaries · 28 April 2026

Raghu Rai, Renowned Photographer, Dies at 83

Exam-focused facts from the 28 April 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Raghu Rai, a renowned photographer and photojournalist, passed away in Delhi at the age of 83 after suffering from cancer.
  • He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972.
  • In 1977, he became the first Indian photographer to be invited to join Magnum Photos upon nomination by Henri Cartier-Bresson.
  • He authored over 40 books, including A Day in the Life of India, Picturing Time: The Greatest Photographs of Raghu Rai, My Land and Its People, The Album: Friends and Family, Tibet in Exile, His People: His Finest Portraits, and The Sikhs.
  • His work documented significant historical events including the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the Emergency years, and the period before Operation Blue Star in 1984.
  • He captured portraits of prominent figures including Indira Gandhi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Satyajit Ray.
  • He was born in Jhang, Pakistan, and was a civil engineer by training.