Sarat Kumar Kar

Sarat Kumar Kar is a politician and writer from Odisha, India. He is a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) political party.^[2] He was a member of the 6th Lok Sabha (1977–80) and was elected three times (2000–04, 1990–95 and 1971–74) to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Mahanga Legislative Assembly.^[3] Kar became the Minister for Education and Culture in 1971 in the Biswanath Das led coalition Government. He was probably the youngest Cabinet Minister in Odisha's political history and the record remains intact till today. He was elected as a Janata Party (Lok Dal) MP in 1977 from Cuttack after defeating Congress stalwart and the then sitting Union Minister, Shri J.B.Patnaik. He was the speaker of the Twelfth Assembly from 10 March 2000 to 21 May 2004.^[4]

Late Shri Pyarimohan Mohapatra was his classmate at Allahabad University.^[5] He has written four poetry books (Druta Bilambita, Manthan, Romanthan and Ananya) in Odia. He is a prolific orator on politics and culture. A great devotee of Lord Jagannath, he has been giving commentary on the Lord's Car Festival ("Rath Yatra") on All India Radio, Doordarshan and private TV channels for the last 40 years.

His spouse, Smt. Anima Mishra Kar, is a retired Professor in English. She is an accomplished singer and was an "A" Grade artist for All India Radio, Cuttack through the 1960s to the 1990s. His elder son, Shri Suman Kar is a Lecturer in English in Bhubaneswar. His younger son, Shri Sobhan Kar, is an Indian Revenue Service officer and works for the Government of India at New Delhi.

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