Naveen Patnaik is an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of the state of Odisha. He has been in office since March 2000, making him one of the longest-serving chief ministers in India. Patnaik is the leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a regional political party he founded in 1997. He is known for his focus on development and welfare programs in Odisha. Born on October 16, 1946, in Cuttack, Odisha, Patnaik comes from a prominent political family. His father, Biju Patnaik, was a well-known leader and former Chief Minister of Odisha. Naveen Patnaik studied at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and later at the University of California, Berkeley.