V. K. Pandian Age, Wife, Family, Biography

Some lesser Known Facts About V. K. Pandian

• V. K. Pandian was enrolled in NLC Sports School in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, during his school days.

• When he was pursuing his college education, he was a middle-distance runner and was a university champion in 800m and 1500m races.

• V. K. Pandian cleared the civil services examinations in 2000 in the Punjab cadre.

• He is an athlete-turned-sports promoter.

• In 2000, he started his career as an IAS officer in Odisha after a severe supercyclone struck the state. During his work in the cyclone-affected areas, he showed a passion for activism and began serving the state right from the beginning of his career.

• In 2002, V. K. Pandian was appointed as the Sub Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district. During his service in the district, he played an important role in the implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.
  

  V. K. Pandian during his stint as the sub-collector

• In 2004, he was appointed as the Additional District Magistrate in Rourkela district of Odisha. He then took charge of the Rourkela Development Agency (RDA), which was reportedly declared bankrupt 20 years ago. RDA had failed to provide homes to people who had invested their savings with them.

• Under V. K. Pandian’s leadership, the RDA began prospering again and generated a profit of 15 crore rupees. Within five months, RDA returned the money to the people who had been waiting for over two decades.

• In 2005, he became the District Collector of Mayurbhanj. This appointment made him one of the youngest District Collectors in India.

• During his service at Mayurbhanj, his focus was on ensuring that people at the grassroots level benefitted from government plans and policies.

• V. K. Pandian then introduced the Single Window System for the distribution of certificates to Persons with Disability (PWD). This initiative increased the distribution of certificates from 700 per year to 19,000 per year.
  

  V. K. Pandian during his stint at Mayurbhanj

• After that, he received the National Award from the President of India for his work in Mayurbhanj especially for Persons with Disability (PWD).

• The success of the Single Window System for PWD certificates in Mayurbhanj led to its adoption as a national model. This system was then implemented across the country.

• V. K. Pandian then became the only government servant at that time to receive the Helen Keller Award for his contributions.

• After that, he introduced the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) after he was appointed as the District Collector of Ganjam. This scheme was formed to improve the livelihoods of the poor people and provide them with job security.
  

  V. K. Pandian during his stint at Ganjam

• He then implemented a bank payment system for wages for the first time and helped in opening 1.2 lakh bank accounts to ensure direct payment of labour wages.

• V. K. Pandian then received the National Award for NREGS twice for Ganjam being recognized as the best district in the country.

• On 2 May 2011, he was appointed as the Private Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He held the position until 2023.

• In 2019, he was appointed Secretary to the 5Ts (Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, and Transformation) initiative. It was a mission and vision initiative for Odisha. Pandian was chosen to lead this mission due to his suitability for the task.

• Reportedly, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik and the implementation of Kartik Pandian, Odisha has experienced a major revolution in various sectors.
  

  V. K. Pandian while in a conversation with Naveen Patnaik

• Under his leadership, all high schools in Odisha were transformed into Smart Schools and were provided with modern education facilities.

• V. K. Pandian is responsible for granting elderly citizens a monthly pension of Rs. 1000, while youth receive an annual scholarship of Rs. 10,000. Many land rights were granted to tribals.

• Odisha was once ranked lowest in terms of investment; however, a major growth was seen in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the five years of his appointment as an IAS officer in Odisha.

• Under the leadership of Patnaik and V. K. Pandian, Odisha started being recognized for its efforts towards gender equality. Under some schemes, women accessed loans up to Rs. 5 lahks at zero per cent interest.
  

  V. K. Pandian while explaining a scheme to Naveen Patnaik

• Pandian transformed Odisha into the third-largest contributor to India’s food security as it was earlier recognised as a food-deficit state.

• In January 2024, the Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor project, a dream of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was completed. This project modernized the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
  

  V. K. Pandian during a visit to the Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor project

• V. K. Pandian then supervised other transformations and upkeep of all heritage structures such as churches, mosques, and temples across the state.

• Under the guidance of his mentor, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Pandian has played a key role in promoting sports in Odisha.

• V. K. Pandian played a major role in hosting the Asian Athletics Championships in 2017.

• He sponsored the Indian national hockey team in 2018. He then hosted the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup twice. It made Odisha a sports centre in India.
  

  V. K. Pandian while promoting sports in Odisha

• V. K. Pandian received the President’s Award from the International Hockey Federation for promoting hockey in Odisha.

• In March 2023, as part of the Chief Minister’s initiative, Mo Sarkar (My Government), Pandian toured all 30 districts and 147 constituencies of Odisha. During this tour, he engaged with people, listened to their grievances, and collected feedback directly from their doorsteps.

• It was during this time that V. K. Pandian realized his connection with the people. This visit motivated him to serve them without being stopped by bureaucratic restrictions.

• In October 2023, he voluntarily retired from his bureaucratic role and was appointed as the chairman of 5Ts (Transformational Initiatives). He then held a cabinet minister rank.

• During his stint as an IAS officer, V. K. Pandian was regarded as the most powerful bureaucrat in Odisha.

• On 27 November 2023, he joined the Biju Janata Dal in the presence of the party president and Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik.
  

  V. K. Pandian while joining the Biju Janata Dal (2023)

• During V. K. Pandian’s joining ceremony, CM Naveen Patnaik expressed his confidence in Pandian. Patnaik said that Pandian had earned the trust and respect of the Odisha people through decades of hard work and would continue to work for the people as a party member.

• He enjoys reading biographies and listening to instrumental music in his free time. He regularly practices meditation and weekly 10km runs.

• V. K. Pandian is a fitness enthusiast. He wakes up at 4 in the morning to follow his strict fitness routine.
  

  V. K. Pandian while pursuing his fitness routine

• He describes him as a man of simple tastes and tireless work and prioritizes human dignity.