Try GOLD - Free
Top Gun Pandian
Outlook
|March 30, 2020
CM Naveen Patnaik’s most trusted aide calls the shots
OFFICIALS had never seen anything like it before. It was 4.30 am on Holi and the top brass of the Cuttack district administration, including the revenue divisional commissioner, central range, the collector, the twin city police commissioner and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation commissioner—were all present at the Badambadi bus stand to receive V. Karthikeyan Pandian, CM Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday and secretary of the ‘5T’ (team work, technology, transparency, transformation and timeline) initiative. While Pandian was in a track suit and T-shirt, the officers were all formally dressed. It was, of course, nothing new for Pandian. Insiders say his day starts at 3.30 am with yoga and ends only at night. Like his boss, he is known to be an early-to-bed man. But for the officers who had to turn up at that unearthly hour, it was not something they looked forward to— certainly not on a government holiday.
This story is from the March 30, 2020 edition of Outlook.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Outlook
Outlook
'Why GDP Growth Doesn't Always Translate Into Votes'
The recent election results have once again shown that economic growth alone does not guarantee electoral victory.
3 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
Lights, Camera, Othering
The establishment of Israel has been accompanied by a national cinema devoted to negating and erasing the Palestinian Other
5 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
Goodbye to All That
Booker-winning British author Julian Barnes' Departure(s) is a unique hybrid work: playful, philosophical, whimsical
4 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
Collapse of Trust
As the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak forced the cancellation of India’s biggest medical entrance exam, more than 22 lakh aspirants find themselves trapped in uncertainty
11 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
NO LONGER A TWELFTH MAN
Bihar cricket, which has languished in the shadows for long, is all set to improve its strike rate, thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the new Bihari kid on the block
5 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
BLAZE OF GLORY
The challenges of being a celebrity cricketer at a young age can be tough to handle
5 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
THE SWASHBUCKLERS
A new generation of fearless stars is emerging and finding its feet at the very top of an extremely competitive cricketing environment
5 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
THE TEEN TORNAD
At the age of 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already a cricketing legend
10 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
A Journey to Remember
The prerecorded message crackled over the din in the compartment: ‘Welcome to the Shatabdi Express.
4 mins
June 06, 2026
Outlook
Crossing Borders
Ruth Martin is the translator of German-Iranian author Shida Bazyar’s novel The Nights are Quiet in Tehran (originally written in German), which has been shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.
4 mins
June 06, 2026
Translate
Change font size

