Radhakant Nayak is an Indian politician, bureaucrat & educationist belonging to the Indian National Congress party. He served as a member of the Parliament of India representing Orissa in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament between 2004 till 2010. Radhakant Nayak, a 1962 batch IAS officer. Nayak is also connected with YMCA and is one of the most high-profile Christians in Orissa Nayak who served the Central government as secretary was short-listed for the post of Union Cabinet Secretary during H. D. Deve Gowda government. He is the Founder - President of National Institute of Social Work And Social Sciences (NISWASS) which was awarded with the First ever Dr. Ambedkar National Award. Former President of India K.R.Narayanan was the former Patron of NISWASS while Former Governor of Odisha S.C.Jamir is the current patron of NISWASS. In 2004 he was elected to Rajya Sabha on Congress ticket. Early years and background Radhakant Nayak was born on 7 February 1939 in Dasingbadi, a village in the Kandhmal District of Orissa. He left Dasingbadi in 1981 and became a permanent resident of Bhubaneswar. Nayak is fluent in English, Hindi, Oriya, Kui and Mala (a variant of Oriya). His son Ranjit Nayak is a senior staff member of the World Bank and currently serves as the chief adviser to the Government of North Macedonia on international and European Union affairs. Nayak previously served as the World Bank's lead (principal) social development specialist for the Europe and Central Asia Region in Washington, D.C. from 2011 to 2013, where he oversaw social development operations in 30 countries, advised governments and World Bank partners on development issues, and led and mentored senior sector specialists within the bank. Prior to that he served as the bank's country chief for Kosovo from 2007 to 2011, and is credited with ensuring the economic and financial sustainability of Kosovo after its declaration of independence in 2008. Education Nayak holds a B.A. in Economics and History from Utkal University, and an M.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from Ravenshaw College (Utkal University). He later received his PhD in Development Administration, Administrative Law and Jurisprudence from Utkal University. Academic career In addition to his political appointments, Nayak has worked in a variety of academic positions in India and abroad. He served as vice-president of the All India Political Science Association in Chennai, chairman of Utkal University Board of