31 Notable alumni of Ravenshaw University

Baidyanath Misra 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, Deputy-Chairman of Odisha State Planning Board, Chairman of Odisha's First State Finance Commission, Secretary of Odisha State Welfare Board, founder Secretary and President of Orissa Economics Association, and the founder Director and...

Deepak Mohanty is an Indian economist. He served as Chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA) from March 2023 till May 2025. He was Chief Economic Advisor, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and was an independent Director on a few companies’ Boards. Prior to that, Dr. Mohanty was Whole Time Member, PFRDA.

Devdas Chhotray is an Indian Odia author, administrator and academic. He was the first vice-chancellor of Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha. His work consists of poetry, short stories, lyrics, musicals and screenplays. Chhotray's father Gopal Chhotray, a recipient of Padma, Central Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, was an architect of modern Odia theatre.

Ajay Kumar Parida was an Indian biologist noted for his contributions in the fields of agriculture, plant molecular biology and biotechnology. In 2014, Parida was awarded the Padma Shri Award by the President of India for his contribution in the field of Science and Technology.

Sudhira Das was an Indian engineer. She was the first female engineer from the state of Odisha. She became an engineer at a time when education was a taboo for women in India.

Umesh Chandra Patra, also known as Dr. U. C. Patra was a zoologist, intellectual, scholar, professor and administrator from the state of Orissa, India. He was head of the Department of Zoology at Ravenshaw University (formerly Ravenshaw College). He started his teaching career as a lecturer in Zoology at Shri Krushna Chandra Gajapati College, Paralakhemundi and after a long stint...

Pratap Jena is an Indian politician and a former Cabinet Minister in the Sixteenth Odisha Legislative Assembly, holding portfolios in Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Law, Housing & Urban Development (2019–2022). He has been elected as MLA from Mahanga for five consecutive terms and serves as the General Secretary of the Biju Krushak Janata Dal, the farmers' wing of the...

Rabi Ray was an Indian socialist politician, a Gandhian, a speaker of the Lok Sabha and a former Union minister. He hailed from Odisha. He joined the Socialist Party in 1948, and later became member of the Samyukta Socialist Party, the Janata Party and the Janata Dal.

Bishwanath Das was an Indian politician, lawyer and philanthropist. He was the prime minister of Orissa Province of British India 1937–1939, the governor of Uttar Pradesh 1962–1967 and later Chief Minister of Odisha 1971–1972.

Nilamani Routray was an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1977 to 1980. He served as the Health and Family Welfare Minister and then Forest and Environment Minister in the Union Government led by V.P. Singh. He died on 4 October 2004.

Prana Krushna Parija OBE was an Indian botanist. His research work comprised mainly fundamental and applied aspects of plant physiology, experimental plant morphology, and ecological studies of plant environment. He studied water hyacinth and other aquatic weeds, respiration in leaves and apples, transpiration and heat resistance in plants, rice and algae and storage of apples. He was born in icchapur...

Oopalee Operajita is a classical Odissi and Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. As well as the chair and founder of the Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition. The competition is named for former U.S. vice president Al Gore but operates without his involvement.

Sarojini Sahoo is an Indian feminist writer, a columnist in The New Indian Express and an associate editor of Chennai-based English magazine Indian AGE. She has been enlisted among 25 Exceptional Women of India by Kindle Magazine of Kolkata. and is an Odisha Sahitya Academy Award winner.

Sachidananda Routray was an Indian poet, novelist and short-story writer who wrote in Odia. He received Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award of India, in 1986. He was popularly known as Biplabi Kabi (revolutionary poet) Sachi Routray.

Mayadhar Mansingh was an Indian poet and writer who wrote in Odia. He received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in 1967.

Pratibha Ray is an Indian academic and writer of Odia-language novels and stories. For her contribution to the Indian literature, Ray received the Jnanpith Award in 2011. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2022.

Gopinath Mohanty, winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 – for his novel, Amrutara Santana – was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prakash Mohanty, professor of English, Cornell University says: "In my opinion, Gopinath Mohanty is the most important Indian novelist in the second half of...

Jayanta Mahapatra was an Indian poet. He is the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. He was the author of poems such as "Indian Summer" and "Hunger", which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. He was awarded a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India in 2009, but he...

Mihir Kumar Das was an Indian actor who worked in Odia language films of Ollywood industry. He received several awards, notably Best Actor for his films Laxmi Pratima in 1998, Pheria Mo Suna Bhauni in 2005 Best Supporting Actor award for his films Rakhi Bandhili Mo Rakhiba Mana in 2002 and Prema Adhei Akhyara and Best Comedian award for Mu...

Ray Elina Samantray, also written as Elina Samantray, is an Indian actress who works in Odia films. She made her career debut with the film Ishq Tu Hi Tu. She was the winner of the first season of the reality television show Kie Heba Mo Heroine, which was broadcast on Tarang TV. She also works in Bengal film industry.

Nandini Satpathy was an Indian politician and author. She was the Chief Minister of Odisha from June 1972 to December 1976.

Ranganath Misra was the 21st Chief Justice of India, serving from 25 September 1990 to 24 November 1991. He was also the first chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of India. He also served as Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from the Congress Party between 1998 and 2004. He is the second Supreme Court judge to become a...

Harekrushna Mahatab was a leader of the Indian National Congress, a notable figure in the Indian independence movement and the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1946 to 1950 and from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet "Utkal Keshari".

Bijayananda Patnaik was an Indian politician, aviator and businessman. He served as the 3rd Chief Minister of the State of Odisha from 1961 to 1963 and from 1990 to 1995. He was also the 14th Steel and mines and 1st Coal Union Minister of India from 1979 to 1980 and from 1977 to 1979 and a member of Lok Sabha...

Gopabandhu Das, popularly known as Pandit Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das (Jewel of Utkal or Odisha), was a social worker, reformer, political activist, journalist, poet and essayist.

Madhusudan Das was an Indian lawyer and social reformer, who founded Utkal Sammilani in 1903 to campaign for the unification of Odisha along with its social and industrial development. He was one of the prominent figure, helping in the creation of Orissa Province (present-day Odisha, India), which was established on 1 April 1936. He was also the first graduate and...

Gopal Ballav Pattanaik is an Indian lawyer and later a jurist who served for 19 years on the bench of the Odisha High Court as a permanent judge, as chief justice of Patna High Court, judge of the Supreme Court of India and as the 32nd Chief Justice of India.

Sitakant Mahapatra is an Indian poet and literary critic in Odia as well as English. He served in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1961 until he retired in 1995, and has since held ex officio posts such as Banking Ombudsman of Odisha and Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi etc.

Nabakrushna Choudhury was an Indian politician and activist. He served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Odisha. He was a freedom fighter who participated in the Non-cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience movement, and the Peasant movement.

Ramesh Chandra Majumdar was an Indian historian and professor known for promoting Hindu nationalist views. He principally studied the history of India.