Former IAS Officer Sujata Karthikeyan, The Face Of Odisha's Mission Shakti, Joins BJD

Bhubaneshwar: Former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday. The 2000-batch IAS officer said she is blessed to get an opportunity to work under the leadership of party chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

She was formally inducted into the party by Patnaik.

'I'm Very Fortunate': Karthikeyan

After joining BJD, Karthikeyan said she is very fortunate to have the opportunity to work under Naveen Patnaik leadership and serve the people of Odisha for the last 24 years.

"Today again, I am blessed to get this opportunity once again to work for the state under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik sir. With the grace of Lord Jagannath and blessings of people of Odisha, I shall continue to work for Odisha and her people with complete dedication and commitment," she added.

Patnaik Welcomes Karthikeyan

Naveen Patnaik warmly welcomed Sujata Rout Karthikeyan into BJD. Sharing pictures from the induction ceremony on X, Patnaik wrote, "She will serve the party as an ordinary worker."

He also recalled that as an administrative officer, Karthikeyan has done many good works. “Holding various positions, she has fulfilled the hopes of countless people. Especially through ‘Mission Shakti’ for mothers and in enriching the ‘Odia language’, she has made a significant contribution,” he added.

He further expressed belief that she will serve the Biju Janata Dal and the people of Odisha with dedication.

Who Is Sujata Rout Karthikeyan?

Sujata Rout Karthikeyan is a 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. She is the wife of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian.

She did her Bachelors in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, where she was a university topper. She obtained her Master's degree in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

She was awarded the Asok Bomabwale Award for the Best Officer Trainee in Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy.

She was closely associated with Odisha's ‘Mission Shakti’ initiative under the Patnaik government. Under her leadership, the scheme grew to a robust movement of 70 lakh women. The scheme led to the rise of women’s enterprises across Odisha.

Mission Shakti is the self-help mission for empowering women through promotion of Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) to take up various socio-economic activities. It was launched in the state on 8th March, 2001, on the eve of International Women’s Day. The programme has the clear objective of empowering women through gainful activities by providing credit and market linkage. 

Sujata Rout Karthikeyan also served as the collector of Naxal-affected Sundergarh. During her tenure, she introduced egg in the Mid-Day Meal scheme in all government schools of the district. She also introduced a bicycle distribution programme for schoolgirls through bank sponsorship to reduce dropout rates among tribal students in the district.

Known as “football collector" in Sundergarh, Karthikeyan promoted sports in rural areas and also distributed footballs in villages. She encouraged children to take up sports and stay away from Naxal activities or drugs .

Further, she was the first woman collector of Cuttack district.

Also Read- Restructuring in UP BJP Unit, Rajnath Singh's Son Neeraj, SP Turncoat Pooja Pal Among 19 Vice Presidents