Biswanath Pattnaik (11 November 1916 – 29 May 2010) was an Indian Gandhian activist and social worker involved in the Sarvodaya and Bhoodan movements.
He received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 2008[1] for his contributions to social, medical, and educational programmes in areas with significant tribal populations, particularly Kujendri and Baliguda in Odisha, India.
[2] At the age of 17, he began working as an informal teacher at his village school, earning a salary of seven rupees per month.
[3] He contributed to the Banabasi Seva Samiti[4] (established by Gopabandhu Choudhury in 1972), focusing on education and welfare programmes for tribal communities.
Pattnaik led the Bhoodan movement in the Koraput area,[7][8][9] encouraging land donations aimed at uplifting tribal and marginalised communities.