Naveen Patnaik

Patnaik was born on 16 October 1946 in Cuttack to Biju Patnaik, former Chief Minister of Odisha, and his Punjabi wife, Gyan.[4] He was educated at the Welham Boys' School in Dehradun, and later the prestigious The Doon School.[5][6][7][8][9][10] After that he attended[11] Delhi University, and he qualified for Bachelor of Arts degree.[12] Patnaik is a writer and had for the most part of his youth been away from both politics and Odisha, but after his father Biju Patnaik's demise, he entered politics in 1997 and a year later founded the Biju Janata Dal, named after Biju Patnaik, which won the state election with the BJP as its alliance and formed the government in which Patnaik became Chief Minister. His mild mannerism, "Stand against corruption" and "Pro-poor policies" have resulted in the development of a huge support base in Odisha, which has voted him to power in the last five consecutive terms. Like his father, he has managed to control the bureaucracy and transformed it into a machine for the development of the state.[13] His spartan personal lifestyle and detachment from material possessions has been liked by the people of the state.[14]

He is also one of the founding members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.[15]

However, his critics have said that his industrial policies did not yield much result.[16] His populist measures and over-reliance on bureaucracy have also been criticized.[14]

CM Naveen Patnaik meeting the 14th Dalai Lama.

Naveen at the Opening Ceremony Hockey World Cup 2018

After the death of his father Biju Patnaik, leader of the Janata Dal,[12] he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha, India.[12] He was a member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel & Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member Library Committee of Parliament. A year later the Janta Dal split and Patnaik founded the Biju Janta Dal which in alliance with the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) performed well and Patnaik was selected the Union Minister for Mines in the cabinet of A.B. Vajpayee.

Patnaik spent most of his early days away from Odisha, so he has problems with writing and speaking fluently in Odia language. He is the only chief minister of India who does not speak the regional language of his state and because of this, he has been facing severe criticism from his opponents. However, he possesses great mastery over Hindi, French, Punjabi, and English. At rallies, he delivers Odia speeches written in Roman alphabet.[21] A book named "Naveen Patnaik" was authored by Ruben Banerjee[22]

• The United Nations in 2013, felicitated Naveen by presenting a citation for his government’s handling of Cyclone Phailin which hit Odisha in October 2013. The body also announced that the state’s efforts would be highlighted as a model for disaster management programs globally. Naveen was also invited by the international body to attend the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), which was held in Sendai, Japan from 14 to 18 March 2015.[23]
• The United Nations in 2019, complimented Naveen for his government's proposal of reserving 33% of seats for women in the National Parliament as well as in the state's Legislative Assembly.[24]

• A Second Paradise: Indian Courtly Life 1590–1947 – Published in India, England and US[25]
• A Desert Kingdom: The People of Bikaner – Published in India, England and US[26]
• The Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India – Published in India, England and US[27]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naveen Patnaik.

• Notable personalities of Odisha, including Naveen Patnaik, in Orissadiary website
• Notable personalities of Odisha as per the Govt. of Odisha official web site
• Odisha's accidental politician, BBC
• Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website