Rajendra Kishore Panda Age, Wiki and Bio

Quick Info

Profession	Poet, Novelist
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	24/06/1944
Age	81 years (died on 24, Oct, 2025)
Birthplace	Natasha, Sambalpur, Orissa Province, British India
Date of Death	24/10/2025

Bio/Wiki

Profession	Odia language poet and novelist
Famous for	Winning Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar in 2020

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Salt & pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Rampela M. E. School, Rampela Chandrasekhar Zila School, Sambalpur
College/University	Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur Utkal University Allahabad University
Qualification	Honours in Political Science and Distinction (Utkal) Master's degree in Arts (Political Science) (Allahabad)

Personal Life

Religion	Hinduism
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Hometown	Sambalpur, Odisha

Career

Debut Work

Poem Collection	Gaun Devata (1947)
Novel	Chidabhas (1999)

Last Work

Bahwarambhe (2003)

Awards and Achievements

Sahitya Akademi Award (1985)
Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award (1989)
Jhankar Poetry Award (1994)
Senior Fellowship for Literature by the Department of Culture, Government of India (1994–1996)
Bharat Chandra Nayak Memorial Literary Award (2001)
Gangadhar National Award (2010)
Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar (2020)

Literary Contributions

Panda wrote several poems during his school years and was awarded early poetry accolades.
He joined the Indian Administrative Service and served for nearly 37 years, holding the last position as Member, Board of Revenue in Orissa.
His later works include collections like Anya, Bahubreehi, Bodhinabha, and Ishakhela.
In 1999, he published a meta-novel called Chidabhas (Mindscape).

Editing and Conferences

Panda edited web anthologies such as Indian English Poetry and a web journal titled The Cogitocrat.
He participated in major literary conferences and received an honorary D.Litt. degree for his literary contributions.

Some Lesser Known Facts

Born in an Odia family that was displaced when his village submerged under the Hirakud Dam Project.
Published numerous works exploring humanity, displacement, and Odia modernist poetry.
Lasting influence in literary circles after his retirement from the IAS in 2004.