Baidyanath Misra

Baidyanath Misra (22 November 1920 – 8 May 2019) was an Indian economist, educator, author, and administrator from the state of Odisha. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Secretary of Odisha State Welfare Board, founder Secretary and President of Orissa Economics Association, and the founder Director and Chairman of Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies. He wrote 16 books in English and 20 in Odia. He was also a columnist in several leading Odia journals and newspapers. He organised several camps across Odisha, for helping the cause of the poor and downtrodden.

Education Misra received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Ravenshaw University, followed by a Master of Arts degree from the University of Allahabad in 1948, and was the topper at both the institutions. He was also the first Odia topper of the Faculty of Arts and the Department of Economics of Allahabad University. He received two gold medals from Sarojini Naidu (the then ex officio Chancellor of the University of Allahabad, being the Governor of the United Provinces) during the convocation, one each from the Arts faculty and the Economics department. He completed another master's degree in economics from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he studied under the Nobel laureate, Simon Kuznets.

Career

Having started his career as a lecturer in Ravenshaw College, He was also a member of the panel of economists of the Planning Commission of India and the Odisha Pay Commission.

Recognition Prof. Misra being felicitated by the Governor of Odisha, S C Jamir He received an honorary doctorate from KIIT University in 2012, for his contributions to Economics. The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, conferred on him the Think Odisha Leadership Award in 2010, jointly with the AICTE Chairman and the Director of IIT Kharagpur, Damodar Acharya, for their contributions in the field of education. He was also awarded the Odisha Sahitya Academy Award in 1996, for his contributions to Odia literature, in addition to the Nandighosh award and Vishub Milan award. Jayant, who did graduation in electrical engineering from IIT Roorkee and MEP from IIM Ahmedabad, and is currently Director & Chief Operating Officer of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys; and Sukant, who did post-graduation and doctorate in economics from Utkal University and Mississippi State University, and is currently dean and vice-provost at Texas Technical University.

Legacy The Orissa Economics Association annually organises the Prof. Baidyanath Misra Lecture in his memory. The association also presents the Professor Baidyanath Misra Best Paper Award. His eldest son and a noted neurosurgeon, Basant Misra, started the Baidyanath Neurosurgery Charitable Trust, in his honour.