Janaki Ballabh Patnaik

This article is about the politician. For the sinologist and translator, see Janaki Ballabh.

Janaki Ballabh Patnaik (3 January 1927 – 21 April 2015) was an Indian politician who had been 25th Governor of Assam from 2009 to 2014.^[1] A leader of the Indian National Congress, he was Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999, holding that post for the longest time on record before Naveen Patnaik. In 1950, he became the President of the Odisha state unit of the youth wing of the Congress. In 1980, he became the Union Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour from 16 January to 7 June.

Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
Janaki Ballabh Patnaik in 2009
25th Governor of Assam
In office 11 December 2009 – 10 December 2014
Chief Minister	Tarun Gogoi
Preceded by	Syed Sibtey Razi
Succeeded by	Padmanabha Acharya
11th Chief Minister of Odisha
In office 15 March 1995 – 17 February 1999
Preceded by	Biju Patnaik
Succeeded by	Giridhar Gamang
In office 9 June 1980 – 7 December 1989
Preceded by	Nilamani Routray
Succeeded by	Hemananda Biswal
Union Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour
In office 16 January 1980 – 7 June 1980
President of Indian Youth Congress, Odisha state unit
In office 1950–n/a
Personal details
Born	(1927-01-03)3 January 1927 Rameshwar, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India
Died	21 April 2015(2015-04-21) (aged 88) Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
Party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Jayanti Patnaik
Children	Pruthvi Ballabh Patnaik (son) Sudatta Patnaik (daughter) Supriya Patnaik (daughter)
Parent	Gokulananda Patnaik (father)
Relatives	Soumya Ranjan Patnaik (son in law)
Alma mater	Ravenshaw University Utkal University Banaras Hindu University
Website	Official website

Personal life

He was born in a humble Karan family.^[2] His father Gokulananda Patnaik was a reputed writer and teacher.^[3] He married Jayanti Patnaik in 1953, a four-time Member of Parliament and first Chairperson of National Commission for Women. He completed his schooling from Khurda High School, he graduated in Sanskrit (Honours) from Utkal University in 1947 and received his master's degree in political science from the Banaras Hindu University in 1949.^[4]

He was accused of involvement in the Anjana Mishra case.^[5][6]

Death

Janaki Patnaik's statue in JB Patnaik memorial park, Khordha.

He died on Tuesday, 21 April 2015, aged 88 at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. On Monday, 20 April 2015, he had gone to attend the convocation of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, of which he was chancellor, and also visited the Lord Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.^[7][8][1] Later in the night, he complained of severe chest pain and was subsequently shifted to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) where he died at around 3:00 am. on 21 April. He leaves behind a legacy of having translated the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita into Odia (his mother tongue), as he was a Sanskrit-Odia scholar.^[9]