Born :- 06-Jun-1912
Died :- 22-Jun-1990
Place of Birth :- Mallipur, Cuttack

Binod Kanungo, the extra-ordinary literary figure famed for his 42-volume ‘Jnana mandal’ the Odia encyclopaedia, was born in village. Mallipur in the then undivided Cuttack district. His father's name was Keshab and his mother's name was Peer. He lived in his maternal uncle’s house at Naganpur from an early age due to his family’s financial hardship. Professor Artaballav Mohanty is his uncle. He completed his childhood education and studied at Ravenshaw Collegiate School and there he joined the Freedom Struggle. However, it was the end of his formal education.

It is true that Binod Kanungo left school to become a soldier in the freedom struggle, but did not leave study until the last minute of his life. Book was his teacher and library was his university. He was sent behind the bars for his participation in the Freedom Struggle.  As a volunteer, he had to work for various organisations. In the first general election of 1951-52, he ran for the Legislative Assembly on behalf of the Socialist Party. But after defeat, he concentrated on public education program as propounded by Gandhiji. The concept of affordable books and the ‘Jnanamandal’  took root at this stage.

For some time he edited ‘The Samaj’ and ‘Krushak’. But his real mission started in 1954. Following consistent effort the mission was successful.

‘Jnanamandal’was the outcome of his determination and persistent effort. For this great contribution to Odia literature and to the field of public education, he will always be adored by the people of Odisha.  He was awarded ‘Padma Shri’ by the Government of India on the 1986. He received the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiography ‘Runa Parisodha’. He also won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for his contribution to children's literature.

Among his books are 42 volumes of the ‘Jnanamandal’, 42 children's books on various topics under a 365 days’ reading plan. Utkal University has also published a ‘Jnanakosh in Odia, but it is rare for an individual to make such an effort.

But, in fact, there is no alternative to the ‘Jnanamandal’ for public education. Binod Kanungo's ‘Jnanamandal’ has the monumentality enjoyed by Gopalchandra Prahraj's ‘Purnachandra Bhashakosh’. The National Encyclopaedia Centre was later established in Bhubaneswar with the support of the Jnanamandal  Foundation.

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