Prof. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak

Padmashree Dr DP Pattanayak ia a Linguist, Literateur, Educationist, and Activist DP Pattanayak studied Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Linguistics, Anthropology, Law, three year Diploma in French and took his PhD from Cornell in 1961, with Linguistics Major, Anthropology and Applied Linguistics as Minor. He wrote his thesis on comparative reconstruction of Oriya, Assamese, Bengali and Hindi, the first of its kind in Indo-Aryan studies.

Born and brought up in a Gandhian family in the smallest princely state of India. He had diverse experience in his childhood, as his father was externed from the state for working with Gandhi. He spent first childhood years at Brahmapur, South Odisha, came back to Tigiria where he completed elementary education, spent two years each at Dhenkanal and Athagarh and completed matriculation in 1946. He completed graduation at Utkal Christian College, Cuttack, by establishing a record in the University by being awarded the Gold Medal for securing highest marks among BA Hons and MA students. He completed post graduation from Ravenshaw College in 1952. But he was detained for one year for leading a student movement. He passed in 1953 from the Utkal University and secured the University Gold Medal by securing the highest marks.