Achyuta Samanta (born 20 January 1964) is an Indian educationist and philanthropist. He is the founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS),. KIIT is an Institution of Eminence for professional education having more than 30,000 students from all over India and 55 other countries across the globe. KISS is a home for 70,000 indigenous children who get free education, home and board, vocational and sports empowerment from Kindergarten to Post Graduation and Doctorate levels, free of cost. Besides education and tribal upliftment, healthcare and rural development, Samanta has contributed to art, culture, literature, film, media, society and national integration. He has also founded Kadambini Magazine and Kuni Katha exclusively for children. Besides, he is also the founder of Kalinga TV and K News Odisha. He has been conferred with more than 50 International and National awards and over 200 state awards besides two highest Civilian Awards from Royal Kingdom of Bahrain and Mongolia called ISA Award for Service to Humanity and Best Worker Award respectively. He has been conferred with 50 Honorary Doctorate awards from universities in India and abroad. He is the first Odia to be a member of both UGC and AICTE. He is currently the Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Kandhamal, Odisha and also the President of Volleyball Federation of India. He is the designated President (India) of Democracy without Borders and founder of Parliamentarians for Indigenous People.

Early life

Samanta was born to Anadi Charan Samanta and Nilima Rani Samanta in the village of Kalarabanka in

Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literall ...

District of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

in 1965. His father died when Samanta was four, and he grew up in abject poverty with his widowed mother and seven siblings. Samanta received an M.Sc. in Chemistry from

Utkal University Utkal University (UU) is a Public university in Bhubaneswar, Khordha district, Khordha, Odisha, and is the oldest university in Odisha, the state, and the 17th-oldest university in India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university. The pre ...

. He had a decade-long experience in teaching in colleges, mostly at Maharshi College under Utkal University, in Bhubaneswar as a chemistry lecturer.

Educationist

Samanta is the founder, ex chancellor, and secretary of

KIIT University Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...

; and the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, KISS Deemed to be University,

KIIT International School KIIT International School is a fully residential, co-educational, private school located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It is a constituent of the KIIT Group of Institutions. It offers kindergarten, primary and secondary education in Central Boa ...

Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is the medical school of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. This institute began offering MBBS courses in medical stream courses in 2007. Its si ...

(KIMS), KIIT School of Management (KSOM), KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM),

KIIT School of Computer Application Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...

(KSCA),

KIIT School of Biotechnology Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...

(KSBT),

KIIT Law School KIIT School of Law (KLS) is a private law school in Bhubaneswar, Odisha within the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) campus, to which it is affiliated. KLS offers five years integrated course in BA LL.B., BBA LL.B. and BSc L ...

(KLS), KIIT School of Languages (KSOL),

Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), formerly KIIT University, is a private deemed university located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It primarily emphasizes on higher education and research in engineering and science. It offers 3 ...

(KIDS) an
KIIT Polytechnic

Member of national and International bodies

He is a member of University Grants Commission (UGC), Executive Committee Member of

All India Council for Technical Education The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is a statutory body, and a national-level council for technical education, under the Department of Higher Education. Established in November 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in ...

(AICTE), President of

Volleyball Federation of India The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) is the governing body of volleyball in India. History The Volleyball Federation of India was formed in the year 1951. Prior to the formation of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), the game was contro ...

, Member of

Indian Olympic Association The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or Indian Olympic Committee (IOC) is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams ...

, President, 39th World Congress of Poets (WAAC), General President (2017-18) of 105th

Indian Science Congress Indian Science Congress Association(ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it meets annually in the first week of January. It has a ...

, Advisor of Ministry of Education (Government of Manipur), Academic Council Member of

Central University of Orissa Central University of Odisha (CUO), formerly Central University of Orissa, was established by parliament under the Central Universities Act, 2009 (No. 3C of 2009) by Government of India, situated at Sunabeda Town, Koraput District in the Indian st ...

, Serving Member of

National Council for Teacher Education National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is a statutory body of Indian government set-up under the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (#73, 1993) in 1995 is to formally oversee standards, procedures and processes in the Ind ...

(NCTE),

Coir Board of India The Coir Board is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Coir Industry Act 1953 (No. 45 of 1953) for the promotion and development of the coir (coconut fibre) industry in India. It is based in kochi and Alappuzha. The ...

, National Executive Council Member of

Indian Society for Technical Education The Indian Society for Technical Education is a national, professional, non-profit Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860. First started in 1941 as the Association of Principals of Technical Institutions (APTI), ...

, and Executive Committee Member of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA). He was also a serving member of international bodies including the

International Association of University Presidents The International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) is an association of university chief executives from higher education institutions around the world. The IAUP was founded in 1964 in Oxford. Membership is limited to those individuals w ...

(IAUP), United States of America;

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educa ...

(IIE), New York City; Association of University of Asia Pacific (AUAP);

University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) is a voluntary regional association of government, non-government and/or university representatives of the higher education sector established in 1993 to enhance cooperation and exchange of people ...

(UMAP),

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

; Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health (APACPH);

United Nations Academic Impact The United Nations Academic Impact, also known by its acronym UNAI, is a United Nations initiative to align institutions of higher education, scholarship and research with the United Nations and with each other. In the words of former United Nat ...

(UNAI), and Asia Economic Forum (AEF), CIFEJ (Centre International Du Films Pour L'enfance Et La Jeunesse, Dubai).

Honoris Causa awards

* Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha – Central University, Tirupati, India − 2011 * Hanseo University, South Korea, 2010 * National University, Cambodia – 2009 * University of Cambodia, Cambodia, 2009 * OIU, Colombo – 2002 and 2005 (D.Sc) * National Formosa University, Taiwan – 2012 * Gandhi Mandela Awards 2019

Awards and records

Samanta received a number of awards, and created new records in the field of social entrepreneurship. He was mentioned among the Top 15 Social Entrepreneurs of the World by the American

Edge Foundation The Edge Foundation, Inc. is an association of science and technology intellectuals created in 1988 as an outgrowth of The Reality Club. Its main activities are reflected on the edge.org website, edited by publisher and businessman John Brock ...

. Samanta appears in ''The Limca Book of Records'' as the youngest chancellor of any University in India. *Outstanding Green Activist Award by India Green Energy Awards organised b
Indian Federation of Green Energy
(IFGE) – 2019 *Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar (Lifetime Achievement Award) at 4th National Teachers’ Congress by MIT World Peace University, Pune - 2020 *Personality of the Year Award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) – 2019 *Golden Gabel Award by World Academy of Arts And Culture – 2019 *BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2019 instituted by

The Hindu BusinessLine ''Business Line'' or ''The Hindu Business Line'' is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper ''The Hindu'' located in Chennai, India. The newspaper covers priority industry verticals, such as Agri ...

daily – 2019 *Conferred the UC Distinguished Professorship in Humanities by The

University of Cambodia The University of Cambodia (often referred to as UC for short; km, សាកលវិទ្យាល័យកម្ពុជា, ''Sakâlvĭtyéalai Kămpŭchéa'') is a private university located on Northbridge Road in Sen Sok District, Phnom P ...

– 2018 * Hall of Fame Award presented by World CSR Congress,

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

– 2015 * Successful Entrepreneur Award at Economic Times Entrepreneurship Summit 2015,

– 2015 * Civilian Award by

Jan Mládek Jan Mládek (born June 1, 1960) is a Czech economist and Social Democratic politician who served as Minister of Industry and Trade from 2014 to 2017. Between 2005 and 2006 Mládek also was Minister of Agriculture in Paroubek's cabinet. He ...

, Industry & Trade Minister of Czech Republic, Vladimír Bärtl, Deputy Minister of Industry & Trade Minister of Czech Republic and M. Stašek, Ambassador of Czech Republic to India at Czech Embassy,

– 2015 * Think India Award by Think Media at Transforming India Conclave 2014,

– 2014 * Honorary Fellowship Award by

Computer Society of India Computer Society of India is a body of computer professionals in India. It was started on 6 March 1965 by a few computer professionals and has now grown to be the national body representing computer professionals. It has 72 chapters across India ...

(CSI),

Hyderabad, India Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the '' de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern In ...

– 2014 * Visista Puraskar from 24th Annual Awards – 2014 *

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...

(CIS), Award, Moscow, Russia – 2014 * Gusi Peace Prize International,

Manila, Philippines Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

– 2014 * ‘2013 World of Difference Awards’ by US-based International Alliance for Women (TIAW) – 2014 *

Jawaharlal Nehru Award The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding is an international award presented by the Government of India in honour of Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister. History It was established in 1965 and is administere ...

, 2012–2012 * Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award (Social Bravery Award) in recognition of an exceptional Act of Courage – 2011 * Priya Odiya Samman 2007 (Most Endeared Personality in Odisha), through a survey by a National TV Channel – 2007 * Humanitarian Award from Mahatma Gandhi Remembrance Organization,

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

– 2004 * First Oriya to receive International Award for Outstanding Social Work by the Indian Embassy,

Muscat, Oman Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the Capital (political), capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Muscat (governorate), Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the t ...

* Received ‘Certificate of Excellence’ in the field of Social Work from the Minister of International Affairs, Government of Cambodia * In December 2022, he received Honorary Doctorate degree by

marking the 50th honorary degree conferred on him.

References

15
Every Child Needs a KISS – Find Out Why

External links

Samanta Achyuta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samanta, Achyuta 1965 births Living people Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology faculty Scholars from Bhubaneswar Utkal University alumni Utkal University faculty Founders of Indian schools and colleges Social workers Social workers from Odisha India MPs 2019–present Lok Sabha members from Odisha Odisha politicians Politicians from Bhubaneswar Odisha local politicians Biju Janata Dal politicians