Naveen Patnaik

Born On: 16th October, 1946
Born In: Cuttack, Orissa
Career: Politician and Chief Minister of Orissa

Naveen Patnaik is one of the leading politicians of India and the present Chief Minister of Orissa. Along with this, he is the founder President of Biju Janata Dal and played a significant role in the recognition of Indian handloom patterns on the international level and also worked for expanding the national market for handloom weavers for Indian fabrics. He has also penned articles for the publications of culture and environment. He likes to read and watch programs on history, environment and culture. During a survey held by the media poll, Naveen Patnaik was rated as the second most famous Chief Minister in India. No doubt, he will always be remembered for his contributions to the development of Orissa and the Indian handloom sector. Naveen Patnaik has a clear and virtuous image for making the government corruption-free and pure. This is all because of his devotion, hard work and honesty, that he has been elected as the Chief Minister of Orissa for three times. He is a dedicated devotee of Maa Tara Tarini and regularly visits the Adi Shakti shrine which is near Berhampur in Ganjam district.

Early Life
Naveen Patnaik was born on 16th October, 1946 in Cuttack, Orissa. He is the son of Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik. His father, Biju Patnaik, was a renowned politician and the former Chief Minister of Orissa. Naveen Patnaik was sent to St. Joseph Convent at Cuttack. Later on, he was shifted to Doon School, where he received the Senior Cambridge Certificate at the age of seventeen. He pursued his graduation in Arts at the Kirori Mall College, Delhi University . He has one brother, Prem Patnaik, who is a businessman and a sister, Gita Mehta, who is a famous author. He is not married yet and is still a bachelor.

Career
He entered politics in 1997, after the death of his father and great politician, Biju Patnaik. He was elected as a Member of Parliament to the 11th Lok Sabha by a nomination to the elections from the Aska Constituency, Orissa. After a year, he formed the Biju Janata Dal Party named after his father and won the state election and together with the BJP formed the government and thus Naveen Patnaik became the Chief Minister of Orissa. He, just like his father very nicely administrated the government and did a lot for the development of the state. He also served the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel and Mines, Library Committee of Parliament and the Standing Committee on Commerce as a member. During the reign of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Naveen Patnaik was made the Union Minister for Mines. In 2000, he was elected from Hinjili Constituency and was simultaneously made the forerunner of the BJD-BJP alliance and on 5th March, he took the oath as the Chief Minister of Orissa. He separated from the Bhartiya Janata Dal after the criticism of BJP's participation in Kondhamal anti-Christian riot during 2007-08. His party, the Biju Janata Dal, won the elections both in Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha in 2009, getting 103 out of the 147 assembly seats and 14 seats out of the 21 in the Lok Sabha. The party formed the government and on May 21, 2009, Naveen Patnaik became the Chief Minister of Orissa for the third consecutive time.

Contribution
Naveen Patnaik has played an efficient role in the development of Orissa and has uplifted the conditions of people below the poverty line. He has also improved the economic conditions and has completely revolutionized the scenario of the Orissa. He is one of the founders of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. In his life time, he has written three books: A Second Paradise: Indian Country Life 1590-1947; A Desert Kingdom: The People of Bikaner and the Garden of Life: An introduction to the Healing Plants of India. All his three books have been published in India, United States of America and England.

Timeline
1946: Born in Cuttack, Orissa.
1997: Entered politics.
2000: Became the Chief Minister of Orissa for the second time.
2009: Became the Chief Minister of Orissa for the third time.