Nandini Satpathy was a great Indian politician and a famous author. She was the first lady Chief Minister of Odisha.

Nandini Satpathy was born on June 09, 1931 in Cuttack. Her father Padmabhushan Kalandi Charan Panigrahi was a well known personality of Odisha who wrote the legendary Odia book ‘Matira Manisha’. Her grandfather Shri Swapneswar Panigrahi was a great freedom fighter. Her uncle Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi established the Communist Party in Odisha. She was married to Devendra Satpathy who was twice elected as MP from Dhenkanal.

From an early age, Nandini was familiar with all big politicians and writers of Odisha and India. She did her Master in Arts from Ravenshaw College where she became a luminary of the ‘Student Federation’. During a student movement in Orissa against the increasing cost of college education, she took lead and was lathi charged by police. This issue later formed into a nation youth movement and she, along with many others, was jailed. Later She joined the Congress Party and got elected as the President of ‘Women’s Forum’. She was very close to then Congress Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi. In 1972, she fought single handedly with four former Chief Ministers of Odisha in the general elections and won. She served as the Chief Minister of Odisha for four years.

She is a well known Oriya writer. Her writings have been translated to many languages. For her contribution to the Odiaa Literature she was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Bharati Samman Award. One of her major works include the translation of Taslima Nasreen’s Lajja into Odia.

Smt. Nandini Satpathy died of an illness on August 04, 2006 at her residence in Bhubaneswar. After her death, her grandson joined her political party and also took on to complete the social works which were left loose ended by her.

She is a well known Oriya writer. Her writings have been translated to many languages. For her contribution to the Odia Literature she was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Bharati Samman Award. One of her major works include the translation of Taslima Nasreen’s Lajja into Odia.

Smt. Nandini Satpathy died of an illness on August 04, 2006 at her residence in Bhubaneswar. After her death, her grandson joined her political party and also took on to complete the social works which were left loose ended by her.