Chairman's profile

Who We Are

PERSONALIA

November 27, 1933 Indian Hindu Married
Permanent Residence: Vill-Balda, P.O.- Khosalpur, Dist.-Jajpur, Orissa
Present Residence : Plot No.-C-123, HIG, Baramunda, Bhubaneswar .

ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS

Stood first in B.A. Hons (Oriya), 1954, Utkal University wand was awarded Govt. Scholarship for P.G. studies.
Stood first in M.A. (Oriya), 1956, Utkal University and won the University and the Bhaktakabi Gold Medals as the Best Oriya Student.
Certificate (with Distinction) in Tibetan, 1969
Ph.D. (Lingusitics) 1970, Visva Bharati.

RESEARCH / EXPERIENCES / ACHIVEMENTS

  • Research Associate in the Munda Language Project sponsored by Chicago University (3 years during 1963 – 69).
  • Collaborated with Dr. Norman Zide (Chicago University) on South Munda Language Studies with Dr. David Stampe (Ohio State University) on comparative Munda Studies, and with Dr. (Mrs.) A.R.K. Zide on Spectrographic Analysis of Juray Phonology.
  • Supervised and guided six projects sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology, Government of India, namely, "Kisan Language & Folklore", "Ethno – Linguistic Study of Didayi", "Early Prose Texts in palm leaf Manuscripts", "Origin and Formation of Saora Script", "Juang Language" and "Bhuyan Language & Culture".
  • Conducted the tribal Language Study Projects sponsored by the Ministry of Welfare at the Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture, Govt. of Orissa and prepared monographs on 20 tribal languages: Kui, Kissan, Didayi, Koya, Santali, Oraon, Kharia, Juang, Gadaba, Saora, Lanjia Saora, Ho, Bathudi, Bonda, Mundari, Desia, Kuvi Kondh, Gondi, Parenga and Sadri with the following contents in each volume:

    1. Grammar, 2. Texts, 3. Dictionary in three formats:

    • Oriya – Tribal Dialect
    • English – Tribal Dialect,
    • Tribal Dialect – Oriya / English.
  • Conducted a major research project on "Survey and Study of Tribal Dialects' sponsored by the U.G.C.
  • Conducted the following projects sponsored by the Ministry of HRD, Deptt. of Culture:
    • Rituals & Festivals of the Primitive Tribes of Orissa
    • Tribal Music and Musical Instruments
    • Tribal Art of Orissa
  • Conducted "Tribal Language Survey & Mapping" project sponsored by D.P.E.P.
  • Participated in many National & International Seminars/ Conferences held in India and abroad, such as , Austro Asiatic Linguistic Conference, Sino-Tibetan Linguistic Conference, Anthropological and Ethnological Science Congress, South – Asia Language and Linguistic Conference. All India Lingusitics Conference, All India Oriental Conference etc. and Symposia/workshops organized by UGC, UPSC, Sahitya Academi, CIIL (Mysore), National Library (Calcutta), Rastriya Manav Samgrahalay (Bhopal), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, NBT etc.
  • Guided successfully 30 scholars for Ph.D. in Linguistics & Literature.

PUBLICATIONS

Papers : More than 150 in Oriya, English, Hindi, Bengali Journals, Souvenirs and Proceedings etc. published in India and abroad.
Books : (In Oriya)
  1. Buddhist Mystic Songs (7th ed., 1995)
  2. New Horizons in Criticism, Vol. 1 (2nd ed., 1983)
  3. New Horizons in Criticism, Vol. 2 (1982)
  4. New Horizons in Criticism, Vol. 3 (1997)
  5. Proto Oriya, 1979 (2nd ed., 1993)
  6. Southern Oriya, 1976
  7. Oriya Language and Script (3rd ed., 1993)
  8. Poetic Language, 1985/2008
  9. Desia, 1993
  10. Comparative Vocabulary of Tribal Oriya Dialects, 1993
  11. Contours of Tribal Culture of Orissa, 1993
  12. Tribals: The People without Masks, 1995
  13. Kathani-Tribal Tales, 2006, Sahitya Academi – New Delhi
Edited Works :
  1. Premalata (An old Oriya Manuscript), 1987
  2. Gitanjali (Oriya Edition), 1987
  3. Best Oriya Essays, Vol. 1 & 2, 1982 (Orissa Sahitya Academi)
  4. Dr. J. P. Das's Poems, 1981
  5. Durgamadhav Mishra's Stories, 1982
  6. Kanhucharan's "SAASTI", 1976 (National Book Trust)
  7. Visva Bharati Journal in Oriya – 7 Vols.
  8. Basantakumari's "Amadabata", 1993 (National Book Trust)
  9. Tribal Language Study Series (25 Vols.), 1989-98 (ATDC)
  10. Tribal Culture Study Series (20 Vols.), 1990-98 (ATDC)
  11. Naba Gunjar – Essays on Orissan Culture – 2001
Translated Works :
  1. Rag Darbari (Hindi)
  2. Swadhinata Samgramara Itihas (English)
  3. Chitra Priya (Tamil)
  4. Gramayan (Malayalam)
  5. Nilakantha Pakshir Sandhane (Bengali)
  6. Tukaram (Marathi)
(In English)
  1. Oriya: Language & Literature, 1984, Visva Bharati
  2. Desia : A Tribal Oriya Dialect, 1986, Govt. of Orissa
  3. Tribal Language and Culture, (ed) 1984, Visva Bharati
  4. Descriptive Catalogue of Oriya Manuscipts, (ed) 1983, Visva Bharati
  5. Descriptive Catalogue of Palmleaf Manuscripts (Sanskrit Texts), 1987 (ed) Visva Bharati
  6. Banaja (ed) 1989-1992, 1996-98, Govt. of Orissa
  7. Tribes of Orissa, (ed) 1990, Govt. of Orissa
  8. Religious Tradition in Eastern India and Lord Shri Jagannath (ed), 1996
  9. Integration of Tribal and Aryan Culture with the Cult of Jagannath (Co Author), 1997
RECOGNITION :
  1. Visuva Award 1982
  2. Orissa Sahitya Academi 1985
  3. Gokarnika Award 1988
  4. Sarala Smaraki 1993
  5. Sarala Sahitya Samsad 1996
  6. Mansingh Award 2007
POSITION HELD :
Teaching
  • Orissa Education Service (1957-62)
  • Lecturer in Oriya, Visva Bharati (1962-69)
  • Lecturer, M.I.L. Department, Delhi University (1970-78)
  • Professor of Oriya, Visva Bharati (1978-1995)
  • Visiting Professor, Berhampur University, Oriya Department (1980, 1993)
  • Visiting Professor, Burdwan University, Bengali Department (1996)
Administrative

Vice Principal Siksha-Bhavana, Visva Bharati (1967-69)
Head Deptt of Oriya, Visva Bharati (1978-87)
Principal Vidya-Bhavana (Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences), Visva Bharati (1986-88)
Director Tribal & Harijan Research-cum-Training Institute, Govt. of Orissa (August 1989 – September 1990)
Director Academy of Tribal Dialects & Culture, Govt. of Orissa (August 1988 – July 1993, Nov 1995 till date)
Advisory

Member Coordinator Saraswati Samman, Oriya Board
Member Jnanapitha Award, Oriya Board
Member Orissa Sahitya Akademi
General Council – 6 terms
Finance Committee – 2 terms
Executive Board – 2 terms
Vice President Orissa Lekhak Sammukhya
Founder Member Bhuaneswar Book Fair
Chairman Raja Ram Mohan Library Foundation, Orissa (3 terms)
Member Book Selection Committee, Orissa State Library
Member Consultative Committee on Materials Media, State Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar
Member Orissa Film Development Corporation
Member Advisory Board and Working Committee, Gazetteers (Revenue Deptt.), Govt. of Orissa
Member Rare Book Selection Committee, Education Deptt., Govt. of Orissa
Member U. G. C. Panel for Indian, Oriental and African Languages
Coordinator Oriya Etimological Dictionary Committee, Govt. of Orissa
Chairman Prasasana Sabdakosa Committee, Law Department, Govt. of Orissa
Chairman Bengali & Oriya Board, CBSE
Member Utkal University Senate (Chancellor's Nominees)
President Saikshya Sandhan (NGO), Bhubaneswar
Chairman Masal (NGO), Bhubaneswar
Member Orissa State Resource Centre for Adult Education Governing Body
Member D.P.E.P. (Orissa) Governing Council and Executive Board
President Shri Jagannath Research Institute, Bhubaneswar
Member Editorial Board of the "Adivasi", Govt. of Orissa
Member State Institute of Educational Television, (Governing Body)
Member National Book Trust Oriya Panel
Member Central Sahitya Akademi, Oriya Advisory Board