Odia is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha, where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also spoken in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Odia is one of the many official languages of India; it is the official language of Odisha and the second official language of Jharkhand. The language is also spoken by 700,000 people in Chhattisgarh.
Jagadish Mohanty was a renowned Odia writer, considered as a trendsetter in modern Odia fiction, has received the prestigious Sarala Award in 2003, Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 1990 for his novel Kanishka Kanishka, Dharitri Award in 1985, Jhankar Award, Prajatantra Award. Born in Gorumahisani, an iron-ore mines in northern periphery in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, he spent more than 30 years of his life working in the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited(MCL) in western periphery of Odisha. Though he kept himself away from the cultural capital of Odisha, but still his writings highlighted him in the mainstream of Odia literature and culture.
Nanda Kishore Bal, was an Indian poet of the era of initial modernity in Odia poetry. He was born at Kusupur village in the Cuttack district of Odisha. He was initially named as Rasananda Jena. Later he was adopted by her aunt and then came the name Nanda Kishore Bal. He is popularly known as "Palli Kabi" for his tender lyrics, celebrating the beauty of rural Odisha in his poems.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal was established in August 1993 as a branch of IIMC, Delhi, an autonomous body funded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It offers Post Graduate Diploma journalism courses in English and Odia, an official Indian language spoken mainly in Odisha.
Kanak Majari Sahoo is an Indian short story writer in Oriya language and a translator of Hindi and Bengali stories into Oriya. She currently resides in Bhubaneswar, and is a regular contributor to many Oriya journals and newspapers.
Gourahari Das is a creative writer, journalist and an academician.
Brajanath Ratha was an Indian poet who wrote in Odia. Brajanath Ratha is internationally recognised and is the recipient of many prestigious awards like the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award, Vishuba Award, Gokarnika Award, First Shudramuni Sahitya Award and Honoured by South Korea's Ambassador, from Global Cooperation Society International, Seol, Republic of Korea for Contribution in World welfare, Cooperation and Services.
Surendra Mohanty born in Odisha was an Indian author who wrote in Odia. He was the recipient of the Central Sahitya Academy Award for his novel Nilashaila.
Kamalakanta Jena is an Indian educator, popular science and science text book writer in Odia. He has received awards for his books and articles.
Jagannath Prasad Das is an Indian writer, poet,painter, playwright and novelist who writes in Odia.
Santanu Kumar Acharya is a National Sahitya Academy Award-winning Indian writer.
Bhupen Mahapatra is an Odia novelist, columnist, and short story writer.
Dr. Nikhilanand Panigrahy is a popular Indian Science writer and columnist from Odisha, who popularized science in the Odia language. He has been contributing regularly to a variety of prominent Oriya news papers and magazines since 1973.
Odisha Gramya Bank (OGB) is a Regional Rural Bank established on 7 January 2013 with the amalgamation of Neelachala Gramya Bank, Kalinga Gramya Bank and Baitarani Gramya Bank in terms of provisions of Regional Rural Banks Act 1976. The bank is sponsored by Indian Overseas Bank & is jointly owned by the Government of India, Government of Odisha and IOB. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Subrat Kumar Prusty is an Indian Odia-language scholar, activist, social entrepreneur, literary critic and author. He is Member Secretary of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was instrumental in preparing the research documents, advocating the awarding of Classical Language status to Odia, forming Central Institute of Classical Odia, Odia University and implementation of the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954. He was awarded the Presidential Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman – 2019 for Classical Odia.
Odisha State Open University (OSOU) is a distance learning state university located in Sambalpur, Odisha, India. The university is established by an Act of the Odisha State Legislature in 2015. The university has jurisdiction over the entire State of Odisha.
Jajati Karan is a senior journalist from Odisha, India. He is the state Bureau Chief of CNN-News18. He has been chosen for ‘RNTC international scholarship for investigative journalism course’ by the Netherlands government. Karan won Ramnath Goenka national award in 2014 for his investigative journalism in the Odisha mining scam. He has done many exclusive stories on various scams in Odisha.
Tarun Kanti Mishra is an Indian Odia story writer. More than 15 of his books have been published. He got Central Sahitya Akademi Award, Odisha Sahitya Academy award and Sarala Award for his contribution in literature and was an IAS in profession and retired after being head of the administration department of Odisha. Then he also worked as Chief Information Commissioner of Odisha.
Hussain Rabi Gandhi was an Indian Odia writer of the late-twentieth century, a politician, a public intellectual and a cultural activist hailing from the Indian state of Odisha. Being a founder member of Biju Janata Dal, he served as the general secretary of the party from upon its formation in 1998 till 2005. In 1994 the title of Biplabi Loka Kabi was conferred upon him by the Mayor of Cuttack. He was also awarded with the title of Utkala Jyoti in 1996 by the then Deputy chief minister of Odisha, Basant Kumar Biswal on the behalf of Freedom Fighter's Organisation. Gandhi primarily wrote in Odia language and was bestowed with the Secular India Harmony Award in 1993 by the former President of India, Giani Zail Singh and with the Gangadhar Meher Kabita award in 2015 for his notable contributions to the field of Odia poetry. Hussain served as the President of Odisha Sahitya Akademi (2008–2010). He was famously known as the Gandhi of Korei and was regarded as a bridge between Western Odisha and Costal Odisha. He also served as Lead Member of Smt. Nandini Satpathy Memorial Trust (SNSMT).
