Achyuta Samanta
Achyuta Samanta (born 20 January 1965) is the founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT); Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which provides free accommodation, food, healthcare, and education from class 1 to post-graduation with vocational training[2]; KIIT International School (KIS), an International Baccalaureate affiliated school, and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a medical college.
Achyuta Samanta | |
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MP of Lok Sabha for Kandhamal Odisha | |
Assumed office 4 April 2018 | |
Preceded by | Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, Biju Janata Dal |
Constituency | Kandhamal |
Personal details | |
Born | [1] Kalarabanka, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, India | 20 January 1965
Political party | Biju Janata Dal |
Residence | Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India |
Alma mater | Utkal University |
Occupation | Social Worker & Entrepreneur |
Known for | Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences |
Website | www.achyutasamanta.com |
He is a promoter of culture and the arts through Kadambini Media Pvt Ltd (KMPL), an organisation he founded. He has been the organiser of Nanhi Pari, a Little Miss India competition, since 2000. He has established 25 spiritual centres and shrines, and is in the process of setting up 'Gandhi Gram' in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, a tribal museum to showcase tribal life, art and culture, and a centre for yoga and spiritualism. He got Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from Daffodil International University.[3]
Biography
Samanta was born to Shri Anadi Charan Samanta and Smt. Nilima Rani Samanta in the village of Kalarabanka in Cuttack District of Odisha in 1965[4]. His father died when Samanta was four, and he grew up in abject poverty with his widowed mother and seven siblings.[2]
Samanta received an M.Sc in Chemistry from Utkal University. He had a decade-long experience in teaching in colleges, mostly at Maharshi College under Utkal University, in Bhubaneswar as a chemistry lab assistant.[5]
Educationist
Achyuta Samanta is the founder, ex chancellor, and secretary of KiiT University; and the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), KIIT International School, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), KIIT School of Management (KSOM), KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM), KIIT School of Computer Application (KSCA), KIIT School of Biotechnology (KSBT), KIIT Law School (KLS), KIIT School of Languages (KSOL), Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences (KIDS) and 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 (AICTE), Academic Council Member of Central University of Orissa, Serving Member of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Coir Board of India, National Executive Council Member of Indian Society for Technical Education, 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 (IAUP), United States of America; Institute of International Education (IIE), New York City; Association of University of Asia Pacific (AUAP); University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP), Bangkok, Thailand; Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health (APACPH); United Nations Academic Impact (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[6][7]
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.[8] 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 by Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE)[9] – 2019
- Personality of the Year Award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)[10] – 2019
- Golden Gabel Award by World Academy of Arts And Culture[11] – 2019
- BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2019 instituted by The Hindu BusinessLine daily[12] – 2019
- Conferred the UC Distinguished Professorship in Humanities by The University of Cambodia[13] – 2018
- "Best Worker", top Civilian Award of Mongolia − 2015
- Highest Civilian award of the kingdom of Bahrain – Isa Award for Service to Humanity – 2015
- Hall of Fame Award presented by World CSR Congress, New Delhi – 2015
- Successful Entrepreneur Award at Economic Times Entrepreneurship Summit 2015, New Delhi – 2015
- Civilian Award by Jan Mládek, 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, New Delhi – 2015
- Think India Award by Think Media at Transforming India Conclave 2014, New Delhi – 2014
- Honorary Fellowship Award by Computer Society of India (CSI), Hyderabad, India – 2014
- Visista Puraskar from 24th Annual Awards – 2014
- Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Award, Moscow, Russia – 2014
- Gusi Peace Prize International, Manila, Philippines – 2014
- ‘2013 World of Difference Awards’ by US-based International Alliance for Women (TIAW) – 2014
- Jawaharlal Nehru Award, 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, South Africa – 2004
- First Oriya to receive International Award for Outstanding Social Work by the Indian Embassy, Muscat, Oman
- Received ‘Certificate of Excellence’ in the field of Social Work from the Minister of International Affairs, Government of Cambodia [14]
Keynote speaker
- Universities for Poverty Alleviation, Madrid, Spain, 2015
- Oslo Summit
- UNDP, Jaipur
- Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
- IFS Academy, Dehradun, India
- UN Headquarters, New Delhi
References
- "Dr. Achyuta Samanta-Founder, KIIT & KISS".
- Purkayastha, Debapratim (March 2015). "Achyuta Samanta's KISS: Mainstreaming Marginalized Communities Through Education". The IUP Journal of Entrepreneurship Development. XII (1): 45–61.
- The Daily Prothom Alo
- "How Odisha's education man Achyuta Samanta plans to navigate his way to the Rajya Sabha". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "KISS Award for Philanthropist". The New Indian Express. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- "Gandhi-Mandela Peace Award 2019 to Achyuta Samanta". KIIT News. 13 July 2019.
- "Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh to be awarded the First Gandhi Mandela Peace Medal". Business Standard India. 11 July 2019.
- The New Indian Express. 12.01.2008 Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder Secretary KIIT & KISS has been placed among the top 15 social entrepreneurs of the world
- "Achyuta Samanta conferred with 'Outstanding Green Activist' Award". KalingaTV. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- "Dr Samanta gets FICCI 'Personality of the Year' award,millennium Post,Nov 28, 2019". ficci.in. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- "39th World Congress of Poets at KIIT". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- "Changemaker Award to Achyuta Samanta". The Pioneer. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "THE CONFERMENT OF THE HONORARY DOCTORAL DEGREE ON JUSTICE DALVEER BHANDARI AND THE UC DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIP IN HUMANITIES ON PROFESSOR ACHYUTA SAMANTA". The University of Cambodia. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- "In Transit with Achyuta Samanta – Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 20 July 2009.