Bhubaneswar: Former IAS officer and former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader V K Pandian has shared Odisha’s governance transformation journey with students at the Harvard Kennedy School, highlighting the state’s initiatives in public service delivery, disaster management and community-led development.
In a video shared on Instagram on October 12, Pandian said he had discussed Odisha’s 5T initiative, disaster management model and people-centric governance approach during his interaction with students from across the world.
Describing the engagement as a great honour, Pandian expressed gratitude to the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor Jeffrey Liebman for providing him with the opportunity to share Odisha’s governance experience.
Pandian highlighted Odisha’s disaster management model, saying the state had transformed itself from vulnerability to resilience under the leadership of former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
He also spoke about Odisha’s experience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, attributing the state’s response to its preparedness and administrative coordination.
“I spoke about Odisha’s globally acclaimed disaster management model, which transformed the state from vulnerability to resilience under @naveen_odisha and how this experience helped the state navigate the COVID-19 pandemic with remarkably low fatalities,” Pandian wrote in his Instagram post.
Pandian also referred to several district-level initiatives that were subsequently expanded as models of public service delivery.
These included the Window of Hope initiative in Mayurbhanj district, which aimed to empower persons with disabilities, and bank-based wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Ganjam district.
He further highlighted community participation in the state’s High School Transformation Programme and the Jaga Mission, an initiative aimed at improving living conditions in urban slums and securing land rights for eligible residents.
The Jaga Mission received international recognition through the World Habitat Awards.
Reflecting on his interaction with the students, Pandian described them as brilliant and intellectually curious, adding that their participation made the sessions engaging and interactive. He also wished them success in their efforts to improve governance and public service delivery across the world.
Pandian expressed gratitude to Team Odisha under Naveen Patnaik, acknowledging its role in shaping the state’s development journey.
“I remember with deep gratitude Team Odisha under @Naveen_Odisha and its role in shaping Odisha’s story of transformation,” he wrote.
Describing the state’s progress as a journey towards people-centric governance, Pandian said Odisha’s transformation had been driven by courage, compassion and an unwavering sense of purpose.
V K Pandian (a 2000-batch IAS officer) served in various key administrative capacities in Odisha before taking the political plunge and joining the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He went on to become one of the party’s prominent leaders before announcing his withdrawal from ‘active politics’ in June 2024.
