KIIT University: Latest News, Events, Photos & Campus Reports

KIIT University is an advanced center of excellence aiming to provide professional education and training to its students. It has always encouraged and supported creative abilities and research temperament. Read on to know about the recent events taking place at the University.

Sleep Lab at KIMS For Treating Sleep Disorder

Date: March 22, 2023

Bhubaneswar: Sleep disorder is a symptom that should not be ignored as it may lead to serious medical conditions, cautioned doctors at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). Sleep disorder can lead to multiple complication, with one study estimating that 50-60 per cent youths in India are suffering from it, the doctors said. Several remedial measures are available to treat the disease including a dedicated ‘sleep lab’ commissioned at KIMS, the first in Odisha.

A dedicated Level-1 sleep lab with 64 channels, has been installed in KIMS catering to the needs of patients with sleep disturbances. Patients are being referred from departments like pulmonary medicine, ENT, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, psychiatry, paediatrics, physiology and dental medicine, among others, for management of disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, insomnia, periodic limb movement disorders, parasomnia, etc.

A sleep board has also been created for multidisciplinary discussion in case of complex sleep disorder cases. With increased awareness, both the medical community and society as a whole can begin to address this disease and help relieve the negative sequelae that result from it.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more prevalent one. It is an underrecognized and underdiagnosed medical condition, with a myriad of negative consequences on patients' health and society as a whole. It affects 17 per cent of women and 34 per cent of men in the US, with similar prevalence in other countries.

The causes of OSA include a narrow, crowded, or collapsible upper airway, a low threshold for arousal to airway narrowing during sleep, and unstable control of breathing. Common symptoms include snoring, awakening from sleep with a sense of choking, excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, fitful sleep, lethargy and decreased libido. While the “gold standard” of diagnosis is by polysomnography, a detailed history and focused physical examination may help uncover previously undiagnosed cases, said the doctors. They belonged to the Departments of pulmonary medicine, ENT, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, psychiatry, paediatrics, physiology and dental medicine.

Undetected obstructive sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, memory loss, heart disease, depression, and even death. OSA can both worsen existing medical conditions and influence the onset of new disease. Disturbed sleep patterns lead to increased levels of daytime somnolence, which can cause days of missed work and increased levels of motor vehicle and occupational accidents.

Several modalities exist for treating obstructive sleep apnea, including continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances, and several surgical procedures. However, conservative approaches, such as weight loss and alcohol and tobacco cessation, are also strongly encouraged in the patient with obstructive sleep apnea.

TKIIT’s Engineering Programmes Get ABET (US) Accreditation

Date: September 20, 2022

The prestigious Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), USA has accredited KIIT Deemed to be University’s six engineering programs. ABET is the premier global accreditation organization of engineering and engineering technology programmes. Regarded as the ‘Gold Standard’ for engineering education, it assures that programs meet the quality standards that produce graduates prepared to enter a global workforce.

With this recognition, KIIT has become the only institution in the country to have accreditation from ABET (USA) in all six engineering programmes. Besides, KIIT Deemed to be University has also been accredited by all the statutory bodies of the Govt of India. Six programs of KIIT-DU have received the ABET (US) accreditation at a time due to its quality education and other aspects.

ABET's peer-review process is highly regarded worldwide because it adds critical value to academic programs in technical disciplines, where quality, precision, and safety are paramount. Congratulating the students and faculty of KIIT, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said that it is yet another recognition for the high-quality programmes of KIIT, which effectively prepares students for global careers. Getting ABET accreditation is very prestigious for any technical University, Dr. Samanta added. 

UNESCO International Literacy Prize 2022 for KISS

KISS Multi-Lingual Lab has become role model for others to emulate

Date: September 12, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar has won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy programme based on the recommendations of an international jury.

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. KISS has received the award in the category of ‘Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education’ programme’.

The prize carries an endowment of US$ 20,000, a medal and a diploma, informed Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS in a press get-together here in Bhubaneswar adding the award has come as a national and state pride.

“I thank UNESCO for recognizing our efforts and social innovations in the field of education, literacy and indigenous empowerment. In my childhood, I struggled to get proper education and now I put all my life to provide holistic education to millions at margins as I have realised that education can only make a child complete to take on the challenges of life,” Dr. Samanta said addressing the media here, today.

KISS Vice Chancellor Prof Deepak Kumar Behera, a well-known anthropologist,  said, “the multi-lingual lab was one of the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020, but it has been implemented at our institution long ago. We have also published an illustrated dictionary to help the indigenous children and their teachers to manage the linguistic challenges during the learning process.’’

“Our education model at KISS, however, being holistic and inclusive in all aspects also ensures to respect the individual cultural identity of each indigenous community members,” the VC added.

CEO and Registrar of KISS Dr Prashant Kumar Routray observed that KISS always ensures sync between the house language and school language through the multi-lingual lab and having student-centric curriculum and keeping the comfort of a homely atmosphere for the indigenous kid.

He also informed that the model of language learning at KISS has now been adopted by the Centre and State Government as the institution has got 35 master trainers and 150 teachers associated with the multi-lingual lab.

KIMS Secures 16th All India Rank, Best in Odisha

Date: September 03, 2022

Bhubaneswar, September 2: The Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) here, which has been at the forefront of path breaking research work and advanced medical care, has been ranked the 16th best private medical institute in India.

In the latest survey conducted by the Week Magazine in association with Hansa Research, KIMS, a constituent of KIIT Deemed-to-be-University, has also been adjudged as the top medical institute in Odisha.

The ranking has once underscored KIMS’ sustained focus on providing high-quality care and treatment to patients and its relentless pursuit of research activities. The medical centre takes pride in having doctors of eminence, some of whom are Padma awardees and represent the finest minds in their fields.

In July, the Education Ministry’s NIRF had ranked KIMS as the 30th best medical institute in the country. In April, it secured the overall 5th rank in Eastern Region and second Best in Odisha among medical colleges in the Outlook Health Best Hospital Ranking 2022, presented by the Outlook magazine and NEB Research.

KIMS made a humble beginning in 2007 as a constituent School of Medicine under KIIT Deemed-to-be-University. It was the product of the dream and vision of the KIIT-KISS Founder Dr Achyuta Samanta to offer quality healthcare and service to people from all walks of life. Today it is recognised as Eastern India’s biggest health-care service provider.

On July 29 KIMS added a Super Specialty Hospital and KIMS Cancer Center to redefine the healthcare delivery process in Odisha and the neighbouring states.

Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal Inaugurates 9^th ‘KIIT International Model United Nations’

Date: August 22, 2022

Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal on Saturday inaugurated KIIT International School’s 9^th edition of the Model United Nations 2022 and shared his vision of a society that promotes an integrated education that brings the teacher, the student and the parents on the same pedestal.

The Model United Nations (MUN) is the first of its kind in Odisha and was started in 2013, offering students a simulated platform to engage and deliberate on matters of national and international importance such as climate change and world peace. KIIT International School is the only institute in the State that is a partner of this prestigious UN mission. The theme of the 9^th edition is refugee challenges.

Addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest, the Governor said education imparted should be all-inclusive and promotes harmony. Knowledge should promote the highest values of human development and imbibe simplicity and humility. The Governor said that teachers have a big role in shaping the “inner consciousness” that encourages students to be truthful in his/her deeds and actions.

KIIT & KISS Founder Dr Achyuta Samanta expressed his deepest gratitude to the Governor for attending the event and described him as a storehouse of knowledge. He said the theme of the 9^th edition – refugee challenges – is vital because of the displacements happening across the globe on account of multiple issues. “Displacement is difficult, if it's forced displacement, it is more difficult”, he said.

The MUN platform, he said provides an opportunity to discuss and resolve contemporary issues and challenges. “Baat karoge to baat banegi,” he underlined. Talking about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr Samanta said KIIT has made immense strides in meeting the objectives. He said that KIIT has been ranked 8^th best University in the world in the prestigious Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 for the impressive progress made in ‘reducing inequalities.

The programme was attended by Head of Officer Odisha UNDP Abha Mishra, Chairperson KIIT International School Mona Lisa Bal, Principal Dr. Sanjya Suar and others.

Public Felicitation to Volleyball Fed Delegation in Sports City Bhubaneswar

Date: August 16, 2022

Bhubaneswar, August 14: A high-level delegation of the International Volleyball Federation (Federation Internationale De Volleyball or FIVB) visited KIIT and KISS campuses on the eve of Independence Day and signed an MoU for the development of Volleyball at the grassroot level in India.

The FIVB General Director Fabio Azevedo and other members visited KIIT-KISS at the invitation of the Founder of these institutes Dr Achyuta Samanta who is also the President of the Volleyball Federation of India and MP of the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency.

The high-level delegation was given a rousing welcome at a public felicitation ceremony here to celebrate their visit to Bhubaneswar. Minister of Sports and Youth Services, Electronics and IT Tusharkanti Behera, Joint Secretary Sports and Youth Services Sailendra Kumar Jena, President of Odisha Football and Athletics Association Ashirbad Behera and delegates from various sports associations and eminent sports persons were present.

Commonwealth Games winning athletes and KIIT students Dutee Chand and C.A. Bhavani Devi and member of Indian Hockey contingent Amit Rohidas were also felicitated. Athlete Shrabani Nanda and Common Wealth Games medal winner Rakhal Sethy were also felicitated.

During the maiden visit to India, the International sports body also inked an MoU under the leadership of Dr. Samanta for the development of volleyball at the grassroots level. The development of Volleyball in India will be taken up on the lines of FIFA Football for School Programme. The agreement was signed with the efforts of Dr Samanta.

The FIVB delegation will meet the Union Sports Minister in New Delhi and senior officials of Sports Authority of India (SAI). During their Odisha visit, the FIVB delegation also met Sports and Youth Services Minister, Secretary of the Department and delegates from different sports associations regarding the development of volleyball as a popular sport.

Dr Achyuta Samanta attended the FIVB Annual General Body Meeting in Manila in June this year for the development of volleyball at the grassroots level across India. He had personally called on FIVB President Ary Graca and General Director Fabio Azevedo and discussed with them measures for the development of volleyball in India. Both the senior-most functionaries of FIVB had assured Dr Samanta to extend all help from the organisation in this regard.

KIIT R & D and Innovation DG Felicitated

Date: August 16, 2022

Dr. Mrutyunjay Suar, Director General, Research & Development and Innovation, KIIT Deemed-to-be University and CEO of KIIT-TBI has been felicitated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, for his achievement in the field of innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship. He won praise and appreciation from the Department during the DST Start-up Utsav on 12th August in New Delhi.

Dr. Suar has been dedicatedly working on fostering innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship in the country. His leadership, commitment and valuable contribution in creating a successful incubation model is an inspiration to incubator professionals and motivate them to excel with good incubation skills and management practices. Dr. Achuyta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS congratulated him for his outstanding success.

Expressing his happiness, Dr. Suar said “it has been possible due to the efforts of Dr. Samanta and his vision to excel in Research and Development and igniting young minds. Years back, Dr. Samanta had established the School of Biotechnology in KIIT Deemed-to-be University and provided the state-of-the-art infrastructure for quality innovation, which has resulted in creating a top-ranking center of its kind in the entire nation today.’’

NABET Rankings: KIIT Polytechnic Adjudged Odisha’s Best

Date: August 03, 2022

KIIT Polytechnic has been ranked as the best polytechnic in Odisha among all the state and private-run polytechnics by National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), a constituent Board of Quality Council of India (QCI). The results were declared today.

This is the first time that the rankings of the polytechnics in Odisha were carried out. The exercise came against the backdrop of the State Government’s enhanced focus on improving the quality of technical institutes and identifying the best ones that adhere to quality teaching. The rankings were carried out by NABET-QCI and State Council for Vocational Education and Training. 

The announcement was met with jubilation by the students, teachers and staff of KIIT Polytechnic. KIIT Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta lauded the efforts of KIIT Polytechnic Principal, Dr Tanmay Mohanty, the teachers and staff, saying, the ranking was a big achievement as the institute was adjudged the best among all government and private Polytechnics. He especially extended his greeting to the students for their success. 

KIIT Polytechnic was established in 1995 and is widely acknowledged for its high-quality technical education. This year, about 40 recruiters visited KIIT Polytechnic and offered 260 placements to the final year students at salaries ranging from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh per annum.

CM inaugurates KIMS Super Speciality Hospital & Cancer Centre – New Benchmarks in Healthcare services

Date: August 1, 2022

Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated the KIMS Super Speciality Hospital and the KIMS Cancer Centre with state-of-art infrastructure and high-end facilities in the presence of Naba Kishore Das, Minister Health and Family Welfare Govt. Of Odisha, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT, KISS & KIMS.

During his visit, the CM undertook a trip around the KIMS campus on a battery-operated vehicle and appreciated the new facilities. The CM appraised the patient-friendly initiatives that have been developed in KIMS.

Today, KIMS has expanded its infrastructure with 1600 beds fully air-conditioned hospitals for the general public and economically weaker section people. The modern complexes will offer the most advanced healthcare services to patients coming from Odisha and neighbouring states such as West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The addition of the new facilities will give a major boost to the quality healthcare services at an affordable price, set new benchmarks and strengthen KIMS commitment to offering the best treatment for all ailments in Odisha itself.

The 300-bed Super Speciality Hospital will have 12 Super Speciality departments. They are Cardiology; Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS); Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Surgical Gastroenterology; Nephrology and Kidney Transplant; Urology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Endocrinology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology; Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery and Plastic Surgery.

The 300-bed centre will be headed by acclaimed radiation oncologist Prof Bidhu Kalyan Mohanti. The Centre will immensely help the people from Odisha and outside with five distinct Super Speciality Departments, namely, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology and Palliative Care.

It is the only centre to possess some high-end medical equipment in Odisha. The hospital has pioneered complex procedures to aid in faster patient recovery and has been recognized for its services by premier-ranking agencies in India and abroad. Most of the departments are headed by acclaimed doctors and Padma awardees, established names who command awe and respect in equal measures. Evidently so, it has become the first choice for countless people in Eastern India.

Among others Smt. Saswati Bal, President, KIIT & KISS; R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS, Prof. Subrat Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT DU; Prof. Sasmita Samanta, VC, KIIT DU; Prof Dr. CBK Mohanty, Pro-Vice Chancellor;  Padma Shri Prof Dr Y.K. Chawla; Prof Bidhu Kalyan Mohanti; Prof Ramnath Misra; Prof Anil Chandra Anand; Prof (Brig) Dr Ambika Prasad Mohanty, Prof. Ram Chandra Das; Prof (Brig) Dr Sudhanshu Kumar Rath; Prof Dr Narendra Kumar Das and Prof. Dr. Hemant Kar were also present on the occasion.

World IVF Day 2022

KIMS Centre for Reproductive Medicine Brings the joys of parenting to couples with infertility issues

Date: July 27, 2022

World IVF Day is celebrated all over the globe on July 25 to mark the birth of the world’s first test tube baby Louise Brown in 1978. In vitro fertilization or IVF has given a ray of hope for childless couples since the birth of Louise as the journey continued with many inventions and advancements to increase the success rates. As infertility is not a disease per se, but a social stigma that the couple especially the female partner, has to live through IVF is a boon for them.

Making use of the available world-class technologies in its stride, the IVF center at city-based Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), called Centre for Reproductive Medicine (CRM), was started in 2017 with a vision set by KIIT founder Dr Achyuta Samanta to have the best technologically advanced IVF laboratory. It has so far produced more than 500 test tube babies and brought joy to parents, who face difficulties in attaining pregnancies.

Chief Consultant at CRM in KIMS, Dr Mousumi Acharya, trained in CMC Vellore, feels that IVF procedures are helpful for couples with male and female infertility causes with the highest success rate among all infertility treatment procedures. The procedure is very safe with minimum side effects and is budget-friendly. One-to-one counseling, a state-of-art laboratory with ethical treatment is a salient feature of the Centre.

HIGH SUCCESS RATE OF CRM @ KIMS

The IVF center at KIMS uses Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) to help childless couples get the happiness of parenthood. A dedicated team of doctors, IVF technicians and embryologists work tirelessly to achieve success, which is around 65 percent.

In fact, couples suffering from various infertility conditions are unable to achieve the natural fertilization process either due to some physical, hormonal and physiological issues, but through the IVF process they are getting the necessary assistance and bear the fruit of success and they could become proud parents.

Prof Dr Jyochnamayee Panda, HoD of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KIMS adds “through our full-fledged IVF center we bring smiles over the faces of the expectant parents and this inspires us to deliver better through technology innovations in the medical sector.’’

Senior Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KIMS Dr Sudhanshu Kumar Rath opines ``millions of children have already been born through IVF methods and it has come as a boon to the infertility issues.

KIMS faculties in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology provide dedicated obstetrics care to all IVF concepts to increase the live birth rate. Thus, earlier consultation and timely treatment will definitely decrease the psychological stress and treatment costs for the infertile couple. Infertility is never by choice so it should not be considered a disease.

KISS Celebrates Draupadi Murmu’s Swearing-In as President with Gusto

Murmu’s Son-In-Law was KISS Student and Son was an Alumnus of KIIT

Date: July 27, 2022

The students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) on Monday organized a victory celebration to commemorate Draupadi Murmu’s elevation as the 15th President of India.

The day was observed in a big way by 30,000 students of KISS as Murmu, the tribal leader from the Mayurbhanj district from Odisha, took the oath of office. She becomes the first woman from the community to hold the highest constitutional position in the country. Her anointment becomes all the more significant as it coincides with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, marking 75 years of India’s independence.

Murmu’s association with KISS, the largest tribal university in the world, goes beyond her visits to the campus. Her son-in-law Ganesh Chandra Murmu was a student of the institute. During his association with KISS for over 15 years, he also played for the KISS Rugby Team that won the 2007 Junior Rugby World Cup in England. He emerged as a promising player and also played for the team in South Africa, England and South Korea.

The President’s son also studied at KIIT from 2003 to 2006. A few years ago, he met with his untimely death.

To mark Murmu’s swearing-in ceremony, more than 30,000 ladoos were prepared and distributed on the campus. Students from the President’s village also participated in preparing the ladoos.

The entire campus basked in a sense of pride and happiness after participating in the victory day celebration. The collective emotions and a positive vibe was more than palpable. The students said they are brimming with confidence that they will also occupy high positions in their professional lives. Draupadi Murmu has overcome many challenges in her life to secure quality education as she had realized its importance in her life. Therefore, she has sent her own children to KISS and many more children from her hometown to pursue quality education and become big in life. Her endeavour has led these children to get quality education and become successful in their careers, the students said. They lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to provide a tribal leader from Odisha to become the President and serve the people of the country. They have also wholeheartedly thanked Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for supporting the PM’s decision.

Drauapadi Murmu has undertaken several socio-economic initiatives for the upliftment of the tribal communities. The students have expressed hope that as President, she will announce several more initiatives for the tribals.

NIRF 2022 Rankings: KIIT 20^th Best University in India

Date: July 16, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University has been ranked 20^th best in the country among all public and private universities in the NIRF India Rankings 2022, which was released by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister in New Delhi on 15^th July 2022.

KIIT-DU has improved its position in this annual national-level ranking exercise compared to last year when it had achieved the 21^st position. Different Schools of KIIT also fared exceedingly well in the prestigious ranking.

KIIT’s consistent improvement in the ranking list, being placed among top 20 universities in the country, is a testament to its sustained focus on imparting quality education and research activities.

“I firmly believe that slow and steady wins the race, and wish KIIT to keep climbing up the ladder and continue to strive towards excellence”, said Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS.

The staff, students and parents expressed their happiness over the performance of KIIT and hailed Dr. Samanta and his efforts in guiding the institution towards excellence and improving academic performance year after year.

Second Convocation of KISS Deemed to be University 

Date: July 05, 2022

Warm-heartedness is key to solving most of the world's problems: His Holiness Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, celebrated its second annual convocation ceremony on 4th July 2022. "I have been profoundly touched during my visits to KISS and I get a feeling that the voice of the tribal community of India is here", stated His Holiness Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche, Master of Tibetan Buddhism and Spiritual Director of the Ripa International Center in his convocation address. 

Congratulating the graduates, His Holiness Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche urged them to carry a sense of gratitude for the rest of their lives as so many people have contributed to their success. "From ecology to economy, real life is challenging and one can succeed only by accepting diversity. Warm-heartedness is the key to solving most of the problems the world is facing today", he told a packed auditorium. The real meaning of education is to help others, he said, while advising students to contribute to the overall good of humanity.

The University conferred Honoris Causa Degrees of D.Litt. upon four personalities of international repute – Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Chancellor, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune; Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Founder and CEO of GIST Advisory Switzerland SA; Dr. Ricky G. Kej, Internationally Renowned Indian Music Composer and 2 Times Grammy Award Winner; and Mr. Erik Solheim, President, Green Belt and Road Institute.

"What KISS does and what KISS focuses on, make this recognition very special", said Dr. Rajiv Kumar in his acceptance speech. KISS has the transformative potential for the country, he said, while congratulating Dr. Samanta. It is essential to focus on human capital, natural capital and social capital, along with GDP, which merely conveys a notion of produced capital, remarked Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, while commending the role of KISS in developing human capital. KISS is developing human capital, taking those who need development the most, he added.

Thanking KISS for the recognition, Dr. Ricky G. Kej said, the planet is facing a serious environmental crisis and the only way to make a difference is to change ourselves. The world is facing a triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, said Mr. Erik Solheim, adding that institutions like KISS have an important role to play in averting the crisis.

Congratulating the degree recipients, he expressed gratitude to His Holiness Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche for inspiring the academic community at KISS with his words of wisdom and to Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, Dr. Ricky G. Kej, and Mr. Erik Solheim for accepting Honoris Causa Degrees from the University. This is not only a matter of pride for the institute, but for the entire tribal community, Dr. Samanta added.

Addressing the graduating students, Shri Satya S. Tripathi, Chancellor, KISS Deemed to be University, said, "As you transition from knowledge-seeker to change-maker, please remember that your alma mater is extremely proud of your accomplishments and it is on your shoulders to carry forward its unique legacy and tradition of selfless service – exemplified by our founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta - in support of those that need it the most". The manner with which the entire KISS community rose to the challenge posed by the pandemic testifies to its resilience and ability to cope with the worst of challenges in the most creative of ways, said Shri Tripathi, who is the former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations.

In his report, Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, Vice-Chancellor informed that KISS-DU has revamped its course curricula and redefined academic as well as research programs largely within the framework of NEP-2020. It has incorporated nineteen innovative value-added courses on topics such as tribal ecology, arts, cuisines, sports and games to help the students stay rooted in their cultures, he added. Dr. Prashanta Ku. Routray, Registrar proposed the word of thanks.

Three research scholars - Hisi Soren, Rashmi Murmu and Juthika Priyadarsini Naik - received Ph.D. degrees at the convocation ceremony. Lalbahadur Singh (2019 admitted batch), School of Indigenous Knowledge, Science & Technology and Chandrakanta Pradhan (2020 admitted batch), School of Indigenous Knowledge, Science & Technology won the Founder's Gold Medal for securing the highest CGPA in the whole University across all Post Graduate programs. Similarly, 14 students were awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal, while another 14 students got the Vice Chancellor's Silver Medal for their outstanding academic performance.

VFI President Dr Achyuta Samanta Discuss Popularising Volleyball at Manila Meet

Date: June 24, 2022

The President of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) Dr Achyuta Samanta on Thursday met top officials of the international volleyball federation in Manila, Philippines and discussed measures to popularise the game in India in a big way. Dr Samanta represented India as the president of the VFI for the first time at the invitation of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).

Dr Samanta, who took over as the President of VFI in 2020, met the President of the Federation of International Volleyball Mr Ary Graça during the annual national meeting of the worldwide volleyball governing body there and discussed at length initiatives to develop a country-wide passion for the game and its appeal.

Dr Samanta, during his day-long visit, also met the General Director of FIVB Mr Fabio Azevedo at the gathering that is being attended by federation heads from 222 countries. Dr Samanta was assured by both Mr Graca and Mr Azevedo of all support to popularizing and developing Volleyball in India.

The Manila meeting is coinciding with the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (Men - Week 2), being held from June 21-26, 2022 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. He is being accompanied by the Joint Secretary of VFI and Secretary of Odisha Volleyball Association Dr Gaganendu Dash. 

KISS Kalahandi Residential School Inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister 

Date: June 18, 2022

KISS Initiative Will Supplement Govt's effort to impart quality education in Odisha, says Naveen Patnaik 

Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) ‘KISS-Kalahandi’ Residential School.

The sprawling eco-friendly and Wi-Fi green campus has come up at Badli under Bhawanipatna Block in the Kalahandi District.

“I am very happy to have inaugurated the KISS campus in Kalahandi district. I thank KIIT & KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta. Kalahandi has transformed into a new education hub,” the Chief Minister said while inaugurating the campus.

KISS has been opening schools across the state to provide quality education to poor and underprivileged children. The KISS pass-out students are also getting success in different fields, he underlined.

Education is the medium of transformation. One’s life can change through education. The state government has been giving importance to education. Through the 5T initiative of the Odisha government, more than four thousand schools have been changed. The contribution of KISS will help and promote more to the state government in giving quality education to all children of the state, the CM added.

Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda said Dr. Samanta has been giving his best for the development of tribals through education. Hundreds have established organizations, but a few people can get a chance to serve people through their organizations. He lauded Dr. Samanta for KISS Kalahandi. All should support Dr. Samanta for his noble initiative, he added.

Rajyasabha MP Sujit Kumar said the state government has introduced many schemes for the development of tribals. He focused on instrumental and transformative development, which KISS has already been doing. Students who will pass out from KISS-Kalahandi would bring laurels to the district as well as the state, he said.

Lanjigarh MLA Pradeep Kumar Dishari said, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, Kalahandi has now turned into an education hub. The district has improved significantly in the education sector. With the opening of KISS in Kalahandi, the education sector will get a big fillip, he added.

In his welcome address Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS and MP Kandhamal said, KIIT has built the KISS-Kalahandi campus. It has entailed an investment of INR 50 crore for land and infrastructural development in 1, 20, 000 sq.ft built-up area, apart from setting up of mechanized kitchen, a 25-bed hospital, furniture and fixture and other facilities in the 10 acres land.

The KISS- Kalahandi is fully free residential school like KISS-Bhubaneswar. In the first phase, the school will have the strength of 1200 students from standard-1 to standard-12 and provide quality education to poor and underprivileged tribal children of Kalahandi District. During this occasion Dr. Samanta declared that, on behalf of KIMS a 200-bed hospital will be opened in Kalahandi.

In 2020, two new campuses came up in Mayurbhanj and Balangir districts and both these campuses were inaugurated by Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha. Recently KISS Balasore Branch ‘Emami –KISS’ has been inaugurated by Chief Minister Patnaik. Though the branches in Balasore and Kalahandi districts had been completed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these two branches could not be inaugurated on time. 

CM to Inaugurate KISS-Kalahandi Residential School on 17^th June

Date: June 17, 2022

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the Kalahandi branch of The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) KISS-Kalahandi Residential School on June 17. The sprawling eco-friendly and Wi-Fi green campus has come up at Badli under Bhawanipatna Block in the Kalahandi District.

Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda, Rajyasabha MP Sujit Kumar, Lanjigarh MLA Pradeep Kumar Dishari, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS and MP Kandhamal would grace the occasion.

KIIT has built the KISS-Kalahandi campus. It has entailed an investment of Rs. 50 crore for land and infrastructural development and setting up of mechanized kitchen, a 25-bed hospital, furniture and fixture and other facilities in the 1,20,000 sq.ft built-up area.

The KISS- Kalahandi is a fully free residential school like KISS-Bhubaneswar. In the first phase, the school will have the strength of 1200 students from standard-1 to standard-12 and provide quality education to poor and underprivileged tribal children of Kalahandi District.

KISS Bhubaneswar is the largest residential School for tribal students in Odisha and the only tribal university in the world founded in 1992 by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, a well-known educationist and social entrepreneur.

In 2020, two new campuses came up in Mayurbhanj and Balangir districts and both these campuses were inaugurated by Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha. Recently KISS Balasore Branch ‘Emami –KISS’ has been inaugurated by Chief Minister Patnaik. Though the branches in Balasore and Kalahandi districts had been completed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these two branches could not be inaugurated.

Emami-KISS Balasore Residential School Inaugurated by Hon’ble Odisha CM Education Brings Biggest Transformation in Life: Naveen Patnaik

Date: June 14, 2022

Hon’ble Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik on Monday inaugurated the Balasore branch of The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Emami-KISS Residential School through virtual mode.

“Today I am very much happy to inaugurate the Emami-KISS. On this occasion I congratulate the people of Balasore, especially the children,” he said at the well-attended event.

Education is the most powerful medium and brings the biggest transformation in one’s life. The state government has given more importance to education and is transforming the schools under the 5T programme. More than four thousand high schools have been transformed as of today. It has created interest among students, the CM said as he addressed the gathering.

He said that KISS has opened its branches in various districts along with KISS-Bhubaneswar. KISS has taken initiative to openfully free residential schools for poor and underprivileged tribal children in 30 districts of Odisha. This would strengthen our initiative to give quality education to all children. He appreciated the joint initiative of Emami and KISS.

Shri Aswini Kumar Patra, Minister, Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Excise said KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta has brought transformation in lakhs of poor tribal children through education. It is not a small thing, it is the god-gifted power to Dr. Samanta.

Balasore MP Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi said Dr. Samanta has created a ray of light in the lives of lakhs of poor and underprivileged tribal children. He has brought transformation and made them empowered through education. We all the people of Odisha irrespective of our caste, creed and political affiliation should support wholeheartedly to Dr. Samanta for this great initiative.

Remuna MLA Sudhansu Sekhar Parida said, today is a great day for Remuna people. I am grateful to Dr. Samanta and Emami group to open Emami-KISS in Remuna of Balasore district. The poor children of the Balasore district will get quality education free of cost.

In his welcome address, Dr. Samanta said, the new residential school has come up on a sprawling eco-friendly and Wi-Fi green campus. The campus has been built in collaboration with the Emami Group. It has entailed an investment of Rs. 50 crore for land and infrastructural development and setting up of mechanized kitchen, a 25-bed hospital, furniture and fixture and other facilities in the 1,20,000 sq.ft built-up area.

The Emami Group has provided Rs.14 Crores and the remaining Rs.36 crores have been provided by KIIT. The Emami-KISS is a fully free residential school like KISS-Bhubaneswar. In the first phase, the school will have the strength of 1200 students from standard-1 to standard-12 and provide quality education to poor and underprivileged children under the CBSE curriculum. Emami-KISS would be an asset of the people of Balasore. K Sudarshan Chakrabarti, Collector and DM proposed the vote of thanks. Among others, Mr. Susil Goenka, representative of the Emami group was also present.

Adjudged the 12^th Best in General Engineering Discipline

Date: June 03, 2022

Steps fall short often when someone calculates the strides made by the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, and the rankings it has bagged in a plethora of disciplines down those years.

One more laurel comes its way as it has been ranked as the 23rd best Indian university in the overall category by the Times Higher Education in its Asia University Rankings for 2022, a giant leap forward of seven places over last year.

In The Legion of Tops

In the General Engineering (Overall category), the University jumped three places to the 12th position, which is higher than some of the IITs and prestigious private universities in the country. With an overall score of 32+, KIIT has been ranked in the cohort of 201-250 in the Asian continent, and among a handful of Indian universities that have made it to the ranking list.

This is a significant achievement for the University, which was established as an institute about 25 years back, and is considered a relatively young university in comparison to the established ones.

According to the 2022 ranking list, the University has emerged as the best in Odisha, edging past other government and private-run universities that have found mentioned in the ranking list. “KIIT has been performing at par with the prestigious institutions in India like the IITs, NITs, and other reputed universities.

Out-Smarting the Bigs

KIIT, which has placed a concerted focus on the citation, research, and international outlook, has done exceedingly well in these categories. In the Citation category, the university has scored 45.6 points. Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, which has topped the Indian universities, has scored 31.5 points in this category.

In the International Outlook category, KIIT has scored 22.1 points and in Research Category, it has scored 15.3 points. Similarly, in the Teaching Category, it has scored 31.5 points.

In the Industry Income category, the university has scored 66.2 points, which is one of the best among the Indian universities and one of the prime contributors to pushing up KIITs overall ranking.

KIIT-DU is the only self-financing university from eastern India and Odisha to enter the prestigious THE Asia University Rankings, which list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger. KIIT is only 18 years old as a university and 25 years old as an institute. It has also been achieving and sustaining its impressive positions in various global rankings of higher education institutions.

This is a big success for KIIT as we strive for academic excellence in all spheres, said KIIT and KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta. An elated Staff, students, management, and well-wishers of both KIIT & KISS have profoundly thanked and expressed gratitude to Dr. Samanta for the latest achievement and for his vision to place the University among the best globally.

South Asia Women’s Conference at KIIT discusses the path to inclusive development

Date: May 30, 2022

KIIT and KISS Universities of the Temple City, the flag bearer global institutions practicing and propagating gender equality, zero-tolerance against gender-based violence, an entrepreneurship programme for tribal women and girls, capacity building of women in tribal districts, education for all and empowerment through sports, today held the opening day sessions of South Asia Women’s Conference (SAWC) 2022.

The two-day event, in association with the United States Consulate General Hyderabad, held in association with multiple UN bodies, has started discussing sustainable networking for the development of women and girls in South Asia. The SAWC 2022 theme this year is ``Towards an Equitable, Inclusive and Sustainable World.” Seventy delegates are participating in the meet.

Welcoming the delegates Vice-Chancellor of KIIT University and Chairman of the inaugural session, Prof Sasmita Samanta said “Women are the epitome of knowledge and we have to connect to the globe to assert the power that we possess with humility.’’

She also observed that women of South Asia have the unique culture of safeguarding the well-being of all around them with their noble qualities like tolerance, peace, and patience, but neglecting their own selves. This conference will try to zero in on the reasons behind such neglect so that the well-being of women folks would be taken care of, in the future.

In her keynote address leading actress-turned director and activist Nandita Das, “we have to say Yes to all that we can achieve and no to what means NO! Saying that those who are suffering from it have to carry the burden of changing it, the actor added If we did not fight for it, who would do it for us?, the noted actress also observed that it was not a fight between men and women as we have to share the responsibilities and burdens of our lives to march ahead.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Frankie Sturm Acting Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate General, Hyderabad said, “The absence of equality makes it difficult for communities to resolve conflict, complicates efforts to boost economic prosperity and undermines countries abilities to grow. The untapped potential of women is a lost opportunity for economic growth, equitable development and conflict resolution. We have to regain the opportunity and achieve gender equity.”

Smt. Lakshmi Puri, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, in her video message at the inaugural ceremony, highlighted the way towards ushering in Planet 50-50 by 2030 and the centrality of #SDG5 for achieving Agenda 2030.

“Empowerment is both an agent and a product of social change. It is about choice and ability to influence ones desired action and be part of the decision-making process,” said Mr. Arun Sahu, High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago.

Ms Acharapan Yuvaprapas, Consul General Thai Consulate, Kolkata in her speech referred to “Gender Rights equality is a Human Right issue.’’

"Through inclusivity and sustainability, we can find solutions to all global problems,’’ said Ms. Tahina Rasamoelina Chargee D’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar.

Mr. Rahul Bose Eminent Actor and Social Activist in his message said. “I hope, workable, implementable, interesting, and innovative ideas come about from the interactions. But more than that, I hope that the people who have attended the seminars go back to their homelands and start implementing the ideas that they have come up with and discussed.”

Ms. Abha Mishra, United Nations Development Programme, State Head – Odisha said “All the SDGs cannot be achieved if we have no mechanism to address the gender gap and difference.”

Mr. Himanshu Bal, World Food Programme, State Head – Odisha noted that if we could address hunger, we could also address SDG 5. Both men and women have to be empowered at the same time. Later three sessions of panel discussions were also held during the day in which UNFPA, WFP, UNESCO, UN Volunteers and UN Women representatives participated.

The prime objective of the conference is to bring together select U.S. Government exchange alumni working on gender equity-related themes from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India. The regional conference with several sessions of workshops, group discussions and breakout sessions are to ensure a designated path in order to achieve the SDG Agenda 2030 of the United Nations. 

KISS to Become Knowledge, Logistical Hub of FIFA’s ‘Football For School’ Initiative

Date: May 20, 2022

The worldwide football governing body FIFA has decided to give a further boost to its ties with Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Bhubaneswar and strengthen cooperation in the ‘Football for School’ programme in Odisha, besides exploring opportunities to expand it across India and South Asia.

A letter of intent has been signed in this regard between Youri Djorkaeff, CEO of the FIFA Foundation, and Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KISS. The document broadly sets out terms for both entities to commit to investigating avenues of opportunity together – particularly concerning the extension of the Football for Schools programme, which is already active across ten FIFA Member Associations, said a statement.

FIFA has selected KISS as the nodal agency for the promotion of football as it was encouraged by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s big emphasis on promoting sports and sporting activities in the State, the FIFA CEO said during the signing-in ceremony.

In October last year, KISS announced the launch of India’s first-ever FIFA Football for School Programme in association with FIFA.

The latest development seeks to take the engagement between FIFA and KISS, a KIIT constituent, to a new level. According to the letter, KISS will act as knowledge hubs for Football for Schools training, and logistical hubs for Football for Schools balls distribution.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Djorkaeff said: “It is with great pride and excitement that today we sign this letter of intent with the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences. FIFA Foundation’s Football for Schools programme was launched to positively impact the lives of 700 million children.

"We are delighted today to officialise our collaboration with the FIFA Foundation, and we are looking forward to working alongside our colleagues to develop the Football for Schools programme in Odisha, as well as being able to investigate together many other development opportunities across South Asia.

“Football is the global game, and we have already seen the power it has to unite, inspire, and educate in every corner of the world through the work already done by this programme. I am certain the collaboration we have set in motion today with help enhance that further still and I welcome the opportunities it will undoubtedly bring to millions of children across the region,” Dr. Samanta said in his reaction. Dr. Samanta praised Chief Minister Shri Patnaik for promoting sports in a big way in the State and being a constant source of encouragement for all sportspersons. On the other hand, Football aficionados and lovers of the game have welcomed the FIFA-KISS latest initiative and congratulated Dr. Samanta for the collaboration.

“The programme is on its way to achieving that goal and is active in South America, Africa, East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Arab world. The partnership we are officialising here today is the next step on the journey in India and South Asia. I look forward to many wonderful projects – delivered with the aid of our new partners at KISS – over the coming years.”

KISS is the world’s largest fully free residential school and university for indigenous children, with 30,000 residential students and 30,000 studying on satellite campuses. It has already provided a platform for many sportspersons with state-of-the-art facilities and has successfully produced the highest number of Olympians in Indian sports.

Swiss Member of Parliament Dr. Niklaus Samuel Gugger is the Global Ambassador of KISS.

9^th International Art of Giving Day Celebrated

Date: May 18, 2022

India along with several countries across the world on May 17 celebrated the 9^th anniversary of Art of Giving (AOG), a noble and pious initiative of Prof. Achyuta Samanta to promote an equitable and harmonious relationship in the society. The theme of this year’s celebration was hope- harmony- happiness, with Prof Samanta disclosing moves to propose to the United Nationsto proclaim May 17 as the Art of Giving day.

The AOG has transformed into a people’s movement, bringing hope and happiness to millions, especially those living on the margins of society. “Our objective is to spread the message of peace and happiness. We want to make it a universally accepted belief through the UN proclamation, the Founder said. He remained optimistic that the 10^th anniversary of AOG next year will be celebrated as a UN proclaimedday, much like how the world celebrates June 21 as UN proclaimed International Yoga Day. 

Hon’ble Governor of Odisha, Prof Ganeshi Lal, Chief Guest of the occasion, hailed the pathbreaking initiative of Prof Samanta and said his noble cause transcends all barriers and touches every soul in the society irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

“There is no difference between the commoner and the cosmos and that the quality of AOG,” the Governor said at the packed gathering that was attended by well-known faces from different spheres of the State. The Governor drew parallels between AOG and devotion shown towards Lord Jagannath and said AOG is like “pulling down the heaven on earth”.

Taking the audience back to 2013 when AOG was conceptualized, Prof Samanta recalled the moment when this idea crossed his mind. He said he was heading to the Bengaluru city from the airport when he felt that the achievements that has come his way were all because of compassion exhibited by way of giving out to the society.

“I immediately called up some close friends and shared about AOG philosophy. They were ecstatic with the idea.” Prof Samanta said that from the conceptualisation stage to finalizing AOG took them about six months and since then AOG has taken a universal appeal.

On the eve of the 9^th celebration, he said, 15 places in Bangladesh had observed the day while 30 more events were organized in Delhi. Besides, every panchayat across Odisha celebrated the occasion in its unique way.

Swami Sivachidananda Saraswati, Secretary, Sivananda Centenary Boys' School, Bhubaneswar, said our Guruji Swami Shivananda was always giving something or other to anyone, who approached him. In fact, we were calling our Guru a nickname "Givanand" looking at his giving spree. Today I have found the "Second Givanand" in Prof AchyutaSamanta looking at his philosophy of life.

Saying that we have to expand ourselves beyond the narrow 'self', Swami Siva Chidanand added that a time has come to rediscover our innerself so that we can do something for the world surrounding us and the Art of Giving philosophy would certainly help us in this regard.

Baba Ram Narayan Das, Founder-President, Unit-I Ram Temple, Bhubaneswar, in his speech observed that by arranging more than 1lakh meals in a day for over 30,000 inmates of KISS and family members of more than 10,000 families of KIIT and KISS Universities, Prof AchyutaSamanta is not only doing a yeoman service to the society but also spreading the message of Art of Giving by organising the food or "Anna" or rice as it is the epitome of our lifeline.

Declaring the philosophy of Indian mythology is that ``Data ek Ram baki sab bhikari’’ Baba Ram Narayan Das added that Prof AchyutaSamanta should not deviate from his path as the meaning of his name explains, so that Art of Giving would get longtime patronage and would help people to disseminate the theme of Hope, Happiness and Harmony around the world.

Niranjan Rath, President of Servants of Peoples Society (Odisha Branch) and printer and publisher of Odisha’s leading language daily Samaja, also spoke on AOG.

Prof Lal felicitated young environmentalist Subhransu Satapathy, lady mortician Riturani Sasmal, ASHA health worker Babita Natha, training youth for Army examinations Jagatsinghpur Silu Nayak and golden grass designer and entrepreneur Usharani Naik from Mayurbhanj with ‘Art of Giving Award- 2022’ for their extraordinary work toward society.

Making an Impact: KIIT Ranked 8^th Globally in SDG ‘Reducing Inequalities’

Date: May 02, 2022

KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar has been ranked 8^th among universities of the world in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ‘Reducing Inequalities’ in the prestigious Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 published on 28^th April 2022.

Besides World University Rankings, Times Higher Education publishes several other rankings of institutions every year on different parameters. One of the most important among these is the Impacts Rankings, which evaluates thousands of universities from all over the world on their contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings assesses their commitment to sustainability across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

In this year's rankings, KIIT has been ranked 8^th best in the entire world for its impact in one parameter of SDGs – ‘Reducing Inequalities’. With impressive ranks of 101-200 in other SDGs - Quality Education; Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions; and Partnerships for the Goals – KIIT has achieved the overall position of 201-300 in the rankings, which lists over 1500 universities from 106 countries. Only a handful of Indian institutions feature in the list, and KIIT is among the top eight universities from India.

Along with quality education and research, KIIT has been actively involved in a wide spectrum of social development activities since its inception. “KIIT has done extensive work in the field of reducing inequalities. As a result, it has got 8^th position in the whole world in this parameter of SDG”, opined the academic community of KIIT Deemed to be University.

Expressing his happiness, Dr. Achyuta Samanta said, KIIT’s position among the world’s most impactful universities in the parameter of ‘Reducing Inequalities’ reflects its enormous work done in the field over the years. He congratulated the Chancellor; Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sasmita Samanta; faculty and staff members and students of KIIT for the achievement.

KIIT, which takes pride as a community-based university, has been extensively contributing to social priorities like reducing poverty through education, women empowerment, rural development, tribal upliftment, art, culture and literature, etc. since its inception. In fact, KIIT is committed towards all 17 SDGs and its academic and social outreach programmes directly touch most of the goals. High rank of KIIT in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings reflects its high social responsibility and impactful contributions toward sustainable development. 

Bihar Sports Conclave-2022

Date: April 29, 2022

Odisha Sports Model is the best model in India, said Dr. Achyuta Samanta, MP, Kandhamal and Founder, KIIT and KISS in Bihar Sports Conclave-2022. A two-day Bihar Sports Conclave-2022, organized by the Bihar Government; was inaugurated by Dr. Alok Ranjan, Minister, Art, Culture and Youth, Government of Bihar at Patna On Thursday. Addressing the gathering as a guest of the conclave Dr. Samanta said, one has to take lead with utmost dedication and selflessness to take the state to a new height in the Sports sector. First of all, we have to create the best sports infrastructure. Appreciating the Odisha Sports Model Dr. Samanta said, Odisha has become the sports capital of India under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha. Mr. Patnaik has a special interest in sports and he has given more importance to sports. Today Odisha is organizing many national and international sports events. The Government of Odisha has created a huge world-class sports infrastructure. Odisha govt. has taken sports to grassroots level. As a result, Odisha has produced many national and international sportspersons. Odisha is the number one state in India to promote sportspersons and the prize money given by govt. of Odisha to national and international sportspersons is highest in the country, he added. Every state should follow the Odisha sports model. KIIT & KISS has an enormous contribution to sports and has been given importance to sports as an academic from its inception. KIIT & KISS the only educational institution in India has created a huge world-class sports infrastructure. Today KIIT & KISS has attracted national and international players and sports bodies to organize national and international sports events here. Among others, Rahul Bose, President, Rugby India, and many eminent sportspersons and coaches were present in this programme.

Best Hospital Ranking 2022 KIMS Bhubaneswar in the top league

Date: April 22, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar has been adjudged the 5th Best Multi-Speciality Medical Facility in Eastern India by the prestigious English periodical Outlook magazine.

The Outlook Health Best Hospital Ranking 2022, presented by the Outlook magazine and NEB Research, has put the Orthopaedics Department of KIMS in an All-India 6th rank and Paediatrics Department in 9th place, thus reaffirming KIMS' commitment to offering quality and affordable treatment to the community. The ranking has also placed both the Gastroenterology and Neurology Departments in the 10th position and Cardiology in the 12th in All-India rank.

KIMS made a humble beginning in 2007 under the leadership of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS as a constituent School of Medical Sciences under KIIT Deemed-to-be-University and today with people’s trust, goodwill, and wider recognition it has emerged as one of Eastern India’s biggest healthcare service providers.

Team KIMS has a huge workforce to support the medical college and its constituent hospital comprising 1,500 doctors, 950 highly trained nursing professionals, and 900 paramedics. To add to the existing strength, there are 1,000 in non-medical and support areas like patient care, IT, finance, insurance claims, and others.

Expressing satisfaction at the achievement, Dr. Samanta thanked the doctors and medical staff of KIMS for their hard work and dedication, which resulted in the impressive position of KIMS in this prestigious ranking.

Campus Placement 2022: KIIT’s Dream Run Continues, 5 Students Bag INR 52 Lakh Annual Salary

Date: April 8, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar has achieved record campus placement with 350 plus top-notch companies doling out 5000 plus job offers for a batch size of 3500 eligible B.Tech students of 2022 graduating batch. This year, about 60 new companies have participated in the placement process so far.

The commencement of the campus placement season for the 2022 graduating batch started from May 2021 and KIIT is already well-poised to achieve cent percent campus placement for yet another year, informed Prof. Saranjit Singh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, KIIT-DU.

KIIT had a super dream run with high-CTC companies this year. While more than 3000 students got at least single placement offers, the top 1500 students were placed in “Dream Companies” with an average CTC of INR 8.10 lakh p.a. Thirty-eight companies offered CTC of INR 10.00 lakh and above per annum, while over 140 companies offered CTC between INR 5 lakh and INR 10 lakh. Five students of KIIT have got placement offers with the highest CTC of INR 52 lakh per annum. The average CTC is INR 6.05 lakh, which is 30% higher than the previous year. More than 3000 students are already placed, while over 2000 students bagged multiple job offers.

KIIT-DU is the only university in India to proactively create an interface with the leading names in the industry. This is facilitating the placement of KIIT students in various national and multinational companies. For instance, HighRadius, a FinTech company, in collaboration with KIIT, has established a FinTech Lab on KIIT Campus wherein more than 2200 students were offered a summer internship. It was followed by a one-year experiential learning internship with a stipend of INR 15,000 per month to 1500+ students and pre-placement offers to 830 students with a minimum CTC of INR 8 lakh till date.

This year, ‘Day Zero’ dream campus drives alone resulted in the placement of about 1500 students by MNCs with an average CTC of INR 8.10 lakh per annum. ‘Day-One’ campus recruitment drive generated about 2000 job offers from four companies: Accenture, Cognizant, Capgemini and Wipro. This is an excellent ‘Day One’ and ‘Day Zero’ conversion taking into account the current job market scenario, said, industry experts. Apart from this, many companies visited the KIIT campus multiple times this year like Accenture, Ericsson, Escorts, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, Capgemini, etc.

KIIT was established as an institution of higher learning in 1997. It has been recording near-total placement in all academic programs since its inception. It has been recognized as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Govt. of India and has been getting impressive positions in various national and global rankings of universities like Times Higher Education (THE), QS and NIRF. It has made its own reputation in the globe for its quality education, innovation, research and training.

The University is able to achieve an excellent placement record consistently due to its student-centric culture and innovative teaching-learning system, driven by a highly qualified and competent team of faculty. Students get unmatched exposure by attending and interacting with eminent academicians, legal luminaries, corporate leaders, policymakers and scientists, who come to KIIT to attend numerous academic conferences, seminars and workshops organized around the year. The Nobel Lecture Series and KIIT Knowledge Tree are part of this initiative under which 22 talks by Nobel Laureates have been arranged for the benefit of students and faculty. Apart from these, KIIT has created enormous infrastructure and facilities, which are most conducive to academic pursuit. All these factors go a long way in ensuring that the students are 'market ready' and their success in placement interviews.

KIIT has academic tie-ups with 195 international universities providing an excellent opportunity for students to pursue higher education abroad. KIIT facilitates the academic placement of about 500 students every year in reputed national and international institutions for higher studies. Students have got confirmed offers from top European and American universities for higher education courses, including Ph.D.

Keeping up with its past trend, KIIT is well on its way to achieve miracle placement for the 2022 graduating batch despite of COVID pandemic. Many companies have confirmed participation in the 2022 Campus Recruitment Program in the coming months and processes are still ongoing using online platforms to assess the students, informed Prof. Singh.

Swami Sarvapriyananda Delivers Knowledge Tree Lecture at KIIT

Date: March 30, 2022

His Holiness Swami Sarvapriyananda, Minister & Spiritual Leader, Vedanta Society of New York delivered KIIT Knowledge Tree Lecture at KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar on 29th March 2022. KIIT Knowledge Tree Lecture series is a unique initiative of KIIT-DU to host, on regular basis, eminent scholars, spiritual leaders, celebrities, public servants, and leaders, who share their lives' experiences and wisdom with the students and staff. It seeks to bring knowledge of the world closer to the students.

Delivering the lecture, Swami Sarvapriyananda stated that India, unlike the US and other advanced countries, is undergoing transformation at a rapid pace. Young people, particularly students, are at the forefront of this transformation. “While going around the wonderful campuses of KIIT and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) this morning, my feeling was that while Harvard, a great university and one of the best in the world, is the present, this is the future”.

Enlightening students on ways to achieve success and happiness in life, Swami Sarvapriyananda, who is a well-known speaker on Vedanta, said, success assumes different meanings in different fields - in Hollywood, success is connected with the celebrities; in Wall Street, success is the accumulation of wealth; while at Harvard University, success is the amount of learning. However, successful people, irrespective of their field, fail to find happiness and peace, he pointed out, emphasizing that happiness and peace remain elusive in absence of spirituality.

Summarizing Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, he told students three essentials – self-confidence, focus, and selflessness - for achieving their full potential in life. _He cited the example of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, who has shown what one person can achieve with these three qualities. Recounting his interaction with Dr. Achyuta Samanta, he said that he asked Dr. Samanta that had he ever felt that he had sacrificed his life for his mission. “Dr. Samanta replied, not at all. I am getting more happiness than I had imagined and I am the happiest person. This shows that the more you think for others and the more you do for others, the happier you will be immediately and lastingly so”, Swami Sarvapriyananda said.

He told students, firstly, one needs to believe in oneself. Without self-confidence and self-esteem, even the best resources will not help. He elaborated that living consciously, accepting who we are, the practice of self-responsibility, the practice of self-assertiveness, living a purposeful life, and the practice of integrity are six attributes required to inculcate self-confidence.

Secondly, one needs to be focused. It is seen that extraordinary people have the extraordinary power of concentration, he stated, adding that focus is more important than IQ and facilities and it removes the limit to the capacity to think, feel and work. Lastly, Swami Sarvapriyananda said, one needs to be selfless. It is true that the more we serve others, the more fulfilled we become, he added.

He also answered queries from the audience. Swami Sarvapriyananda joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1994 and received Sannyasa in 2004. He has served as an acharya of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math, India. He has also served in various capacities in different educational institutes of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and as the Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School in 2019-20.

Expressing gratitude to Swami Sarvapriyananda for enlightening the students and staff with his wisdom, Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Vice-Chancellor, KIIT-DU said, history is a witness that spiritualism and spiritual people have made a profound impact on the world. Understanding oneself and being connected to the globe is the essence of knowledge, she added. A large number of students, faculty members, and staff of KIIT-DU attended the lecture, which was held in hybrid mode. 

Asia Education Award 2022 to KIIT India’s Best University for Placement & Campus

Date: March 28, 2022

KIIT Deemed to be University was conferred Asia Education Award for 2022 by Asia Today Research & Media in Bengaluru on 25^th March 2022. In the absence of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Mrs. Sasmita Rout received the award on behalf of KIIT from Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka. KIIT earned the award in the category of “Best University with Excellent Placement & Campus in India”.

KIIT has carved a niche for itself in the country for its outstanding contribution to the field of education. Since its inception, KIIT has been emphasizing value-based education in ensuring congenial learning ambiance and excellent placement for students. By virtue of these aspects, KIIT bagged this coveted award for its aesthetically appealing campus and best possible placement.

Every year, Asia Today Research & Media presents the award to institutions contributing immensely to the field of multifarious research and analysis services. Dr. Achyuta Samanta thanked Asia Today for selecting KIIT for the award. It became possible on part of KIIT to get such an award due to the earnest effort and goodwill of the guardians, faculties and staff, he said. Among others, Shri Basavaraj Horatti, Hon'ble Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council; and Dr. Mrugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Hon'ble Minister of Large and Medium Industries, Govt. of Karnataka were present.

'Sportstar Aces Award 2022' to KIIT University’

Date: March 22, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar was adjudged the best university for the promotion of sports at the 2022 Sportstar Aces Awards, which was held in Mumbai on Saturday. The award was given for the promotion of sports and outstanding contribution to the field of Sports and Games. Many sports personalities including Sunil Gavaskar were present on the occasion. KIIT and KISS have been working towards the comprehensive development of sports and sportspersons apart from promoting and encouraging athletes. The institute’s world-class sporting infrastructure coupled with the influence of its international coaches has resulted in the development of nearly 70 athletes that have represented India at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and other international meets. So far, KIIT and KISS have groomed more than 5000 athletes of regional, national and international repute by virtue of its advanced state-of-the-art sporting infrastructure. Under the leadership and guidance of Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT and KISS have not only developed sports from grass root level but also sent athletes to the Olympics Games, which could draw the attention of jury members of the Sportstar Aces Award. On behalf of KIIT, Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Director General, Sports, and Dr. Varun Sutra, Director, International Affairs received the Award in the absence of Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta. In his virtual message, Dr. Samanta thanked Sportstar for choosing KIIT for this prestigious award.

KIIT Bhubaneswar Placement 2022: 5 Students Bag 52 Lakh Annual Package

Date: January 17, 2022

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology also known as KIIT Bhubaneswar has achieved a great record of campus placement with more than 300 top-notch companies doling out more than 4200 job offers for a batch size of 3500 eligible B.Tech students of 2022 graduating batch. In placement 2022, 50+ new companies have participated in the placement process so far. KIIT has maintained its all-time record of 100% Placements for the last two consecutive years despite the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

“Even during the lockdown due to global pandemic, KIIT authorities have worked hard to bring companies on virtual mode and place the students” confirming the strong placement culture said Founder, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT. He applauded the efforts of training & placement officials for all the hard work.

Five students of KIIT have bagged the placement offer with the package of INR 52 LPA. 3000+ students have placed till date with over 2000 students bagging multiple job offers. Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Vice-Chancellor, KIIT-DU says, “The commencement of the campus placement season for the 2022 graduating batch started from May 2021 and KIIT is already well-poised to achieve cent percent campus placement for yet another year.” Prof. Samanta further added, “More than 3000 students got single placement offers, while the top 1500 students were placed in “Dream Companies” with an average CTC of INR 8.10 LPA. 35 companies offered CTC of INR 10 lakh and above p.a, while 130+ companies offered CTC of INR 5 lakh”. 

This year, the dream ‘Day Zero’ campus drives of the KIIT alone resulted in the placement of about the top 35% of students by MNCs with an average CTC of INR 6.50 LPA. More than 23 companies offered a CTC of INR 10 LPA or more with the highest CTC of INR 30 LPA. The ‘Day-One’ campus recruitment drive of the KIIT also generated about 2109 job offers from four companies namely Accenture, Cognizant, Capgemini, and Wipro. Other than this, many companies visited the KIIT campus multiple times this year like Ericsson, Escorts, ITC, Adobe, Epam, Tata Mahindra, etc.

KIIT won “The Awards Asia” Leadership and Management Team of the Year 2021

Date: December 18, 2021

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar has been awarded ‘The Awards Asia’ in the category “Leadership and Management Team of the Year” by the Times Higher Education (THE) on December 14, 2021. KIIT is the only University from India and also the only university in Asia to get this award in one of the categories, for the second year in a row. The institute was also declared as the “Workplace of the Year” in 2020.

KIIT is awarded for its phenomenal pandemic response and relief work. This recognition of KIIT is mainly for its amazingly fast way to react to uncertainties. It reached the unreached parts of the society for helping in a hard time of the pandemic. Kalinga Institute has done a lot of work for serving society, some of them including the opening of free Covid hospitals, distribution of masks, sanitizers, food, essentials, adopting the orphans, leveraging community education and providing scholarships to the meritorious students.

Staff and faculty members of the KIIT gave all credits of these great works to their Founder, Dr. Achyuta Samanta for this achievement said, "This is an award for each and every staff and student of KIIT and KISS who constitute a prompt team and never delay to give back to the society based on its ethos of humanitarianism and compassion. It is a matter of pride for Odisha as KIIT is the only University in India as well as in Asia to get such a prestigious award."

The Judging Panel of Times Higher Education evaluated the awesome works of KIIT especially during the hard times of the Covid pandemic situation and acclaimed the unbelievable growth and development of the KIIT.

First Convocation of KISS Deemed to be University

Date: June 28, 2021

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, celebrated its first convocation ceremony in virtual mode on 27th June 2021. Delivering the convocation address, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha congratulated the graduates, and said that there is no dearth of talents in tribal communities. What is needed is the right environment, encouragement and timely exposure. He exhorted the graduates to make the ‘Vocal for Local’ as their resolution and contribute to the successful making of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ through their participation and endeavours.

“My heart fills with admiration and appreciation for Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of this University for building such a unique institution that has drawn global attention. It was the idea of an equitable world that propelled Dr. Samanta to a great extent. What has been achieved with the love, compassion, dedication and determination of one individual is indeed remarkable”, Prof. Ganeshi Lal said. He also received Honoris Causa Degree of D.Litt. from KISS Deemed to be University.

KIIS gets New Chancellor & Vice Chancellor

Date: May 17, 2021

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) is the only university in the world exclusively for tribal students. Founded by eminent educationist and social activist Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KISS is one of its kind fully-free and fully-residential institutions, imparting education from KG to PG as well as doctoral programmes to the tribal students. KISS, as a whole, is a home for 60000 tribal children (30000 existing and 30000 passed out students). Eminent personalities from Odisha, who have brought pride to the State at national and international stage, have joined in different top positions as the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director General of KISS Deemed to be University.

Mr. Satya S. Tripathi, a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), has taken over as the Chancellor of KISS Deemed to be University. Mr. Tripathi, who hails from Cuttack district of Odisha, has 40 years of rich and varied experience, which includes key positions in the UN around the world. He is also Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet. 

Dr. Upendra Tripathy, IAS (Retd.), who has served with the Govt. of India as the Secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has joined as the Pro-Chancellor. Dr. Tripathy, who belongs to Ganjam district of Odisha, had also been the first Director-General of the International Solar Alliance, the first treaty-based International Organisation headquartered in India. 

Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, from Sambalpur district and an internationally acclaimed anthropologist, has taken charge as the Vice-Chancellor. Prior to joining KISS, he has served as the Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University, Berhampur University, and Rajendra University, Balangir. Prof. Behera has the distinction of being the only anthropologist in India to become the Vice-Chancellor of three different universities. He was a Fulbright Visiting Professor at California State University.  

Prof. Pitabasa Sahoo, Dean, Department of Development Studies at Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Tamil Nadu has joined as the Pro-Vice Chancellor on deputation. Hailing from the Keonjhar district of Odisha, he has 20 years of research experience in the domain of Tribal Development, Regional Studies, Rural Development, Sustainable Development and Social Sector Development with agencies like UNDP, WFP, NORAD, Norwegian Aid, World Bank, DFID, etc.

Similarly, an IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, Dr. Kanhu Charan Mahali has joined as the Director-General, KISS Deemed to be University after his retirement as Additional Director-General. A tribal from the Mayurbhanj district, he is an efficient administrator with over 34 years of experience in various capacities.

KISS Alumni Association, KISS Students’ Association and KISS Adivasi Parents’ Association have welcomed and congratulated them for joining such a world-class institution like KISS. They thanked Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS who has been making continuous efforts to make KISS a top institute in the world. With the appointment of experienced senior administrators and academicians at the helm of affairs at KISS Deemed to be University, it would become a center of excellence in tribal studies shortly, they expressed confidence. 

KIIT First Indian Varsity to Get Five Stars in QS Star Ratings

Date: April 29, 2021

KIIT Deemed to be University has become the first Indian university to achieve the “Five Stars Rating” from the prestigious QS Star Ratings System. The rating results were published recently. The QS Intelligence Unit, a division of QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, rated KIIT as a Five Stars institution, the maximum achievable, after rigorous and independent data collection and analysis of performance metrics in a range of indicators across eight categories. The rating will be valid for three years.

Every year the rating exercise evaluated higher education institutions from all over the world against pre-established global benchmarks of excellence across eight categories such as Teaching, Employability, Academic Development, Internationalization, Online Learning, Innovation, Inclusiveness and Computer Science & Engineering, a specialist criteria. KIIT scored perfect five in four categories and four in the remaining categories, ensuring the overall rating of Five Stars.

The QS Intelligence Unit also compiles the coveted QS World University Rankings. However, the QS Star rating system evaluates universities across a wider range of important performance indicators as set against pre-established international standards. By covering a broader range of criteria than any world ranking exercise, the system shines a light on both the excellence and the diversity of the rated institution.

Just last week, KIIT had achieved a rank of 201+ globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021. Back to back impressive positions in two leading global university ranking and rating exercises have given a boost to the international standing of KIIT Deemed to be University, which has also been accorded the Institution of Eminence tag by the Govt. of India. KIIT is also the winner of ‘Awards Asia 2020’ in the category 'Workplace of the Year’ by the Times Higher Education.

Expressing happiness at the achievement, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, “KIIT has been rated as a Five Stars Institution on the basis of its excellence and diversity by the QS Stars rating system operated by the QS Intelligence Unit, the independent compiler of the QS World University Rankings since 2004. We resolve to continue to do our best”.

KIIT Ranked 201+ Globally in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

Date: April 23, 2021

Deeds are the best answer to injurious words. That way Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar remains a torch bearer among the fraternity and its achievements don’t require a spokesman. KIIT has been placed among the top universities of the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings-2021 announced on 21st April 2021. KIIT’s commitment to sustenance and Equity gets recognition by THE.

On the yardsticks of community-based university and impact of university, every year the Times Higher Education conducts rankings of higher education institutions across the globe. As KIIT has been fulfilling all criteria of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, THE has given 201+ rank to KIIT in the overall Impact ranking. The Impact Rankings of the Times Higher Education evaluates the social responsibility of universities across the world.

Also, It has been ranked 86th in ‘Reduced Inequalities’ of SDG. For this, it has ranked within 100 universities of the world at least in a single parameter. KIIT has got the rank 101+ in ‘Partnership for The Goals’ and 201+ in ‘Quality Education & Peace and Justice & Strong Institutions each. It is the only university in eastern India to achieve such an impressive rank. In 2020 KIIT was ranked in 501+. KIIT was also the winner of ‘Awards Asia 2020’ in the category 'Workplace of the Year’ by the Times Higher Education.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A very comprehensive and balanced comparison across four broad areas like research, stewardship, outreach and teaching was done by the Times Higher Education.

KIIT has been progressing with impressive ranks in quality teaching, research, publication, etc. What is more noteworthy is that KIIT has been carrying out its social responsibility with sincerity and dedication since its inception. Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said that a few institutions and universities are getting featured in the world rankings, which itself is a matter of pride for the state. "We are happy that KIIT Deemed to be University is among the top in the Impact Rankings of the Times Higher Education (THE), as it has tried to maintain excellence in social responsibility.” 

5^th AOIBBCON 2021 Held at KIMS

Date: April 06, 2021

The 5^th AOIBBCON-2021 was held at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). It is the official conference of AOI Bhubaneswar branch. Dr. G.V.S. Rao and Dr. Srinibas Kishore from Hyderabad attended the conference as guest faculties. Live Surgical Workshops on Modern Otological Surgeries, Snoring Surgeries and Ear Surgeries were organized on the occasion. Around 120 ENT doctors from all parts of Odisha and other states attended the conference. The programme was organized by the Department of ENT, KIMS. It was a very successful conference due to the help of doctors and staff of KIMS, said Dr. K.K. Samantaray, HOD-ENT, KIMS. He extended his thanks to the DG, KIMS and Professor of Anesthesia for their overwhelming cooperation.

We should not forget Mother, Motherland and Mother tongue: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu on his Book Release

Date: April 03, 2021

We should not forget Mother, Motherland, and our Mother tongue, said Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India during the release of the book ‘My Mother - My Hero’ at Rajbhawan. The book ‘My Mother - My Hero’ on an ideal mother is written by eminent educationist and social worker Dr. Achyuta Samanta "We read biographies of entrepreneurs, explorers and scientists, but writing the biography of a mother is something different and unique. Writing a biography on mother is very inspiring", the Vice President stated.

Gracing the Book Release ceremony, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Governor of Odisha said, we should not only serve humanity but worship humanity also. "At such an early stage, Dr. Samanta has written such an important book. I remember Thakkar Bapa when I see Achyuta Samanta", he added. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Samanta said, he has been emphasizing women's empowerment as he has felt women's power since his childhood. "Women's power helps in the holistic development of a nation and society. If importance is given to women's empowerment, the nation and society can develop", he stated. The book is all about women's power and he has expressed it by taking the example of his mother.

Neelimarani, the mother of Dr. Achyuta Samanta was an ordinary human being with some extraordinary dreams and vision to help society. Her ideology put a deep impact on Dr. Samanta for doing something for society. Living a life full of struggles, Neelimarani could develop a small remote village into a smart village and Manapur into a smart panchayat. How she had always been insisting Dr. Samanta for the development of their native village Kalarabanka is the main theme of the book.

Due to the accidental death of Dr. Samanta’s father, his mother Neelimaranri became helpless at the age of only 40. This tragedy pushed her into unimaginable hardship and struggle. But, she never gave up her strong willpower, principles, and struggle. Till her last breath, she had been insisting Dr. Samanta for the development of Kalarabank smart village and Manapur panchayat.

Whatever Dr. Samanta has been achieving, it is because of her mother’s values that he picked up while growing up. She groomed Dr. Samanta to become what he is. All his accomplishments are dedicated to her mother Neelimarani.

KISS Includes Chess in School Curriculum

Date: March 22, 2021

Following the International Chess Federations’ (FIDE) policy to include Chess in School Level Study Curriculum, the same is being executed in different nations across the world. In this context, All India Chess Federation (AICF) has also decided to include Chess in School Curriculum. Accordingly, AICF and All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) have chosen Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) as the first school for incorporating Chess in its academic curriculum.

Mr. Bhagat Singh Chouhan, Secretary, AICF; Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, President; Mr. Bhavesh Patel, Vice-President; Mr. Narendra Sharma, Treasurer; Mr. Ranjan  Mohanty, President, All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA); and Mr. Debabrata Bhatta Secretary, AOCA declared at a Press Conference in Bhubaneswar that KISS will be the maiden venture in including Chess in its School Curricula.

Such programs will be managed by the International Chess Federation, they said. While KIIT & KISS will provide the required infrastructure, FIDE & AICF will extend all sorts of cooperation. Notably, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS has been promoting Chess through KIIT & KISS for the last 10 years resulting in the emergence of many National and International Chess Players from here. From local to International level Chess championships, KIIT & KISS have been carrying out a relentless endeavor for the promotion of Chess players and the game itself.

In order to incorporate Chess as a game in the academic curriculum, communication was being made with AICF by KISS for the last  year based on the strength of its infrastructure, coaches, and facilities. In turn, envisioning initiating Chess as part of the study Curriculum in KISS, AICF communicated with Dr. Achyuta Samanta.  As a leading promoter of the game, he gave a green signal to AICF. Subsequently, all arrangements have been made to include Chess in the Study Curriculum of KISS from 2021-22 academic session.

Expressing his happiness on this matter, Dr. Samanta has extended thanks to AICF and AOCA. Such an endeavor will enable many Chess players of KISS as well as of Odisha to get international exposure, he said. Chess as part of the study curriculum will help the students immensely. Besides the future will not only witness many tribal students turned Chess players but Chess will be a boon in their mental growth. Among others, Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Director, Sports, KIIT-DU, and many senior functionaries of AICF and AOCA were present on the occasion. 

69^TH SENIOR NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL (M & W) CHAMPIONSHIP Inaugurated

Date: March 06, 2021

The 69^th Senior National Volleyball (Men & Women) Championship 2020-21 has been inaugurated at Biju Patnaik Indoor Stadium, KIIT Deemed to be University on March 5, 2021. Tusharkanti Behera, Minister Sports & Youth Services and Electronics & Information Technology, Govt. of Odisha joined as Chief Guest  in the inaugural ceremony while Anil Choudhary, Secretary General, Volleyball Federation of India (VFI); Rathin Ray Choudhury, Sr. Vice President, VFI and Chairman, Control Committee; Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Hon’ble MP, Kandhamal; President, VFI and Founder, KIIT & KISS; Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Organizing President and Pro-VC, KIIT Deemed to be University, Prof H. K. Mohanty, VC, KIIT DU joined as guests and grace the occasion. Dr. A. Samanta, Presided over the Inaugural Ceremony, while Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Secretary Organizing Committee, Associate Jt. Secy., VFI, Honorary General Secretary, Odisha Volleyball Association and Director, Sports, KIIT and KISS gave vote of thanks.

On the occasion of legend Biju Patnaik’s 105^th birth anniversary, the inaugural ceremony was after giving floral tribute to late Biju Babu. Among others Presidents and general secretaries of states and UTs volleyball associations were also present in the inaugural ceremony. For the first time in the history of Indian volleyball, Odisha as a state hosted the senior national championship consecutively after successfully conducting the 68^th Senior National Volleyball (M&W) Championship last year. Also for the first time all the matches would be played in Indoor courts with live streaming. All the matches will be played at Biju Patnaik Indoor Stadium as per COVID guidelines of Govt. of Odisha.

Odisha as a state has been allotted four Volleyball National Championship - 36^th Junior National Volleyball Championship 2009, 41^st National Sub Junior Volleyball Championship 2019, 68^th Senior National Volleyball (M&W) Championship 2019-20 and the forthcoming 69^th Senior National Volleyball (M&W) Championship 2020-21. All the four tournaments have been conducted at KIIT premises.

More than 1200 Men & Women volleyball players from 28 states and 8 union territories are participating in this National Championship. For the first time the union territory Ladakh team have been participating with proper permission from President, VFI. Many Arjuna Awardee as well as international & national players would be participating in this championship. The Indian Volleyball team for the upcoming Asian Championship and other international meets would be selected through this championship.

The selection committee for the Indian Volleyball Men Team consists of Shri. G.E. Sridharan, Dronacharya Awardee, Arjuna Awardee & Present Coach of Indian Volleyball Team; Dr. Dalel Singh, Arjuna Awardee and Shri Jagir Singh Randhawa. The selection committee for the Indian Volleyball Women Team consists of Shri Ajay Jangra from SAI, Shri. Daljeet Singh, and Ms. Vaishali Phadtare, Present Coach of Indian Volleyball Team. Shri Prakash Roy and Shri A. Ramana Rao, Dronacharya Awardee & Arjuna Awardee will be the coordinator of both the selection committees.The inaugural match was held between Odisha and Madhya Pradesh in Men’s Category and Odisha Vs. Rajasthan in Women’s Category.

KSRM Conducts National Agribusiness Conclave 2021

Date: February 26, 2021

KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) conducted National Agribusiness Conclave 2021 recently. The objective of the Conclave was to bring the business practitioners as well as academicians and students to a common platform and discourse on various challenges and ways forward with special reference to “Agri Startups Ecosystem and Agri Inputs towards Food Security & Nutrition Security”.

Speaking at the Conclave, Shri Ram Kaundinya, Management Consultant and Former CEO of Advanta Seeds explained the different important areas of ‘New Decade of Agriculture’. He has mentioned the following aspects of agriculture to be focused in the decade ahead: supply driven to demand driven agriculture; environmental protection and natural resources conservation; appropriate technology and climate change adaptation; traceability of food; consolidation of farmers’ bargaining power; and increasing role of digitalization. Shri Kaundinya also appreciated the unique contribution of Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS to tribal development.

Emphasizing on the business ethics, Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU told about agriculture as the Indian culture. Besides, he also suggested agriculture to be the new ‘Dharma’ for a new world order of healthy society. Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar appreciated the initiatives of KSRM in organizing such deliberations.

In his welcome address, Prof. Nishith Parida, Director, KSRM set the conclave context. Prof. Nirmal Mandal introduced the guests and Prof. Damodar Jena offered the formal vote of thanks. There were two panel discussions in the Conclave – ‘Agri Startups Ecosystem: Challenges, Drivers and Pillars’ and ‘Agri Inputs towards Food Security & Nutrition Security: Challenges and Prospects’.

Shri Gaurav Dhawan, Commercial Director, Udaan; Shri Ajay Maniar, Partner, Aavishkaar Capital; Shri Emmanuel Murray, Senior Advisor, Caspian Investment Advisors; Shri Harendra Kumar, Assoc Vice President, Dehaat; Shri Sachin Nandwana, Co Founder, BigHaat; Shri Gyanendra Shukla, President & Director (CEO), JK Agri Genetics; Shri Ajai Rana, CEO, Savannah Seeds; Shri Mahesh Girdhar, President, Deepak Fertilizers; Shri J V Ratnam, Sr Assoc Vice President, Coromandel International; and Shri Rahul Pagar, Portfolio Lead, Asia (Marketing), H M Clause participated in the panel discussions.

KSRM Conducts National Rural Management Conclave 2021

Date: February 26, 2021

KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM) conducted National Rural Management Conclave 2021 recently. The objective of the Conclave was to bring the development and business practitioners as well as academicians and students to a common platform and discourse on various challenges and ways forward with special reference to “Rural Finance and Sustainability in Rural Livelihoods”.

Speaking at the Conclave, Shri T. Vijay Kumar, IAS (Retd.), Advisor to Govt. of Andhra Pradesh on Agriculture & Cooperation explained the different important dimensions of sustainable agriculture, especially organic farming. Emphasizing on zero budget natural farming, he flagged climate change aspects such as water scarcity, food scarcity, soil degradation and higher cost of agriculture through which agriculture gets victimized. The most important part of his presentation was his eight principles of natural farming. Shri Vijay Kumar also appreciated the spectacular and unique contribution of Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS to tribal development.

Emphasizing on the sustainability of ecosystems, Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU suggested working on appropriate models and its implementation to change rural world order. Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar appreciated the initiatives of KSRM in organizing such deliberations.There were two panel discussions in the Conclave – ‘Rural Finance in Post-COVID Scenario: Challenges and Prospects’ and ‘Sustainability in Rural Livelihoods: Prospects and Way Forward’.

Shri Rakesh Kumar, CEO & Executive Director, Light Microfinance Pvt. Ltd.; Shri Dibyajyoti Pattnaik, Director, Annapurna Microfinance Pvt. Ltd.; Shri Abhishek Anand, Associate Partner, MicroSave Consulting; Shri Naveen Kumar Mallik, COO, Samasta Microfinance Ltd.; Shri D. Narendranath, Executive Director, PRADAN; Shri Apoorva Oza, Chief Executive, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India); Shri C. S. Reddy, Founder & CEO, APMAS; Shri Raghuram Bhallamudi, COO-Consulting, BASIX Consulting & Technology Services; and Shri Sanjay Joshi, Executive Director, Foundation for Ecological Security participated in the panel discussions.

KSRM Organises Alumni Talk

Date: February 26, 2021

An Alumni talk was organized by KSRM for the students of MBA(RM) and MBA (ABM) recently. The speaker was Mr. Prabeen Kumar Singh, Senior Manager, CottonConnect South Asia Pvt Ltd.  An agriculture graduate from Banaras Hindu University,  Mr. Singh completed MBA in Rural Management from KIIT School of Rural Management in 2010. He also did a specialization course on leading people and teams from University of Michigan, certificate programme on Sustainable Fashion from Copenhagen Business School and Driving business through Sustainable Development Goal from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Mr. Singh joined Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) through campus placement and had also worked with organisations like Ambuja Cement Foundation and Global Communities.

In the talk Mr. Prabeen Kumar Singh gave an overview of cotton farming in the world where the sector is a leading one in the developing countries and textile value chain being one of the longest value chains in agricultural commodities. He highlighted the challenges in the sector across the value chain, especially in the context of sustainability, like high use of pesticide in India, water footprint for production of garments, exploitation, gender inequality, difficulty in traceability because of the number of intermediaries and cotton price fluctuation. Mr. Singh also stressed upon the social and environmental issues which are all interlinked. He also shared about some of the ways forward to address the sustainability issues like bringing sustainability and business together, creating circular products, ensuring zero wastages at all stages and keeping things local.

Mr. Singh advised the present batches to become a master in whichever sector they intend to work. He also suggested that they invest in learning new things, using technology, keeping oneself updated, building up knowledge and improving writing skill.   Learning attitude, patience and good writing skill will help them grow in their profession

Konfidant – 5^th edition of the Corportate Mentoring Program

Date: February 26, 2021

KIIT School of Management (KSOM) virtually inaugurated the 5^th edition of Konfidant Corporate mentoring program recently. Konfidant is a program aimed at providing MBA students mentoring from corporate leaders during their entire stay at KIIT Deemed to be University. 35 corporate professionals have been invited to be part of this process as mentors. The corporate professionals include 14 alumni who have scaled the corporate ladder and distinguished themselves.

The inaugural session was anchored by Prof. Isa Mishra, KSOM who introduced the visionary founder Dr Achyuta Samanta, KIIT and KISS. Thereafter, she introduced the corporate mentors and faculty mentors mapped with them. Dr. Saroj K. Mahapatra, Director, KSOM set the context and enunciated the program objectives. This was followed by Prof. Joydeep Biswas explaining the flow of the entire mentoring process. The session was graced by Dr. Sanjay Muthal, CEO, Kontemporer Leadership & Business Solutions who presented the inaugural address.

Through the program students are connected with industry stalwarts who take over as mentors to a small group of 10 to 12 students assigned to them as mentees. This mentor-mentee relationship is structured to be long-term and mentees continue to engage with their corporate mentors over email, chat messenger and telephone depending on their individual requirements. Mentors continuously monitor the progress of their mentees and provide them timely feedback.

This is one-of-a-kind initiative amongst educational institutes of India. The Konfidant program helps KIIT School of Management to be industry-ready when the students graduate from the School. The program has been conducted by Prof. Joydeep Biswas and Prof. Isa Mishra, co evangelists for Konfidant under the leadership of Dr. Saroj K. Mahapatra, Director, KSOM.

KSOM successfully organizes Pre-Budget discussion over Virtual Platform

Date: February 26, 2021

Like every Indian, who will be hooked to the television tomorrow for the BUDGET 2021, our MBA  masterminds too had their share of discussion and expectations with regards to one objective of improving our GDP growth with respect to all the five major sectors of the Indian economy aligning that with the 17 SDGs. The students of KSOM came up with a brilliant form of discussion w.r.t the provision, progress and expectations from Budget 2020, under the able guidance of Prof. Shikta Singh. There were five student panels representing – Agriculture & rural sector development, finance, healthcare, education and infrastructure. They were ably guided by Prof. Shikta Singh.

The session began with the welcome address by Prof. Shikta Singh, on the relevance of budget. She mentioned COVID-19 which has emerged as a black swan event has stifled the global economy. Governments across the globe as well as in India initiated fiscal and monetary stimulus programs to combat the damaging economic effects caused by the virus. Having understood the emergency of bringing the economy back on track, the theme of today’s discussion- CONNECTING THE DOTS- BUDGET 2021, is steering a way towards matching with the expectations coined out by our student panellists, who have very vividly delineated the flow of discussion.

The session took a way forward with setting the context by Prof. S.N Misra, Dean, KSOM,  KIIT Deemed to be University. He very vividly brought into the issues on the trade-offs amongst fiscal deficit, inflation and GDP. Taking it further Prof. Saroj Mahapatra, Director KSOM, KIIT DU addressed and congratulated the students for their active participation.The five student panellists discussed the various facets of the sectors viz. Agri and rural development, finance, infra, health & education& industry.

The agriculture sector, has high expectations regarding farm’s bill, women labour participation rate and schemes that would allow them to take credit for banks easily that would help to achieve this target. For achieving the target pertaining to doubling of farmer’s income by 2022 ,it also needs better pre and post-harvest handling facilities, storage and distribution to boost the exports and providing online platform to promote their sales of product. Involvement of Krishi Vigyan Kendras to take export oriented technology to farmers.  Attracting private investments by promoting value added organic exports and Ayurveda. Boosting of agri- credit through centralized database, monitoring of KCC in uniform manner and increasing the viability of small farmers, including animal based farmers. Moreover, addressing a major concern of irrigation, we expect this year’s budget to address the problem by installation of micro-irrigation system. More fund allocation to MNREGA to spur consumption.

Taking of the financial sector, corporate tax reduction has boosted investor sentiment in the midst of a severe slowdown. After this cut base corporate tax rate in India has become competitive and should help to boost investment. Corporate tax reduction has boosted investor sentiment in the midst of a severe slowdown. After this cut base corporate tax rate in India has become competitive and should help to boost investment. Addressing the major concern, Tax, the expectation is to increase in 80c limit, exemption limit to increase to five lakhs. The expectation w.r.t personal tax cuts will be a major push to the demand side, thereby increasing the disposable income which will have an impact on enhancing the purchasing power of the individuals reviving back the consumer’s confidence. Further, With few changes in the regulatory framework in life insurance industry will lead to the growth of the industry. Capital markets expect that DDT should go holding period in regard to LTCG should be increased from 12 months to 2-3 years. Pumping in credit facilities into the financial sector especially focusing on MSMEs. Moreover, expectations moved in to raise interest deduction for a housing loan to the tune of Rs. 2 lakhs. Abrogation of angel tax or GST rate cuts for EVs and  100% FDI investment into insurance intermediaries and focusing on insurance schemes.

Addressing the concern with start-ups, the industry sector expects lucrative incentives like tax incentives to be included. Excluding start-ups from section 42 of Companies Act, improvement with regards to gender equality and ease of doing business to boost the start-ups. The panellist expect installation of smart meters to improve operational efficiency of DISCOMS, reforms in UDAY scheme to reduce the aggregate technical and commercial losses to less than 10%. Increasing the investment of 1.77 lakh crore in the renewable energy to achieve the SDG goal of affordable and clean energy.

With FMCG sector is expecting one single GST rather than complicated GST slabs, the automotive sector has expectations of reducing GST from 28% to 18% to increase demand. A budgetary allocation of 12000cr in MSME sector is expected from this year’s budget. Setting up of Khadi institutes, to increase the demand in the MSME sector and also more focus on improving the exports that would encourage local productions.

The masterminds, also expect suitable reforms to be rolled out to expand manufacturing units in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, creation of investor friendly trade regime to spur momentum in the manufacturing sector and signal the transition from expenditure led economic growth to demand led economic growth, reforms on inverted duty structure .

While everyone is looking for a boost in infrastructure, we expect the government to focus on renewable energy sources, more liquidation and pump more cash flow into the market, and more encouraging schemes to boost infrastructural developments to attract FDIs. Disinvestment in the laid back PSUs or ways to increase efficiency and profitability is expected from this budget by sticking to an asset monetisation plan.  The sector also expects an improvement in roadway acts that leads to the growth of automobile, and ancillary industry. Inclusion of more airports under the “UDAAN” scheme will further boost revenue into the aviation sector.

One of the major sector, Health care, expects more policies to safeguard our women’s health that would ensure more women participation in the labour force which will boost the economy. It also expects lower GST on health equipments, inclusion of action policies like tax holidays to boost the Make In India initiative. Bring on the home healthcare under limelight under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana was a major expectation in this year’s budget. Slashing down GST on critical healthcare equipment like ventilators, wheelchairs etc. to boost quality healthcare.

Hence, all such expectations are expected to be noted by our Honourable FM Nirmala Sitharaman. The sessions were brilliantly handled by the student panellists.

KIIT organizes Five Days Faculty Development Program on Leadership

Date: February 26, 2021

KIIT School of Management (KSOM), a leading institute of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, successfully organized its Five Days Online Faculty Development Program (FDP) on LEADERSHIP – GEN NEXT: EXERTING INFLUENCE NOT AUTHORITY, recently. This was an ATAL, AICTE, GOI Approved project bagged by Prof. Shikta Singh, Associate Professor, KSOM, KIIT University.The program received an overwhelming response of more than 200 registrations from across India from the field of pharmacy, medicine, biotech, engineering, management, and corporates too. A huge diversity was seen amongst the participants.

The Faculty Development Program (FDP), organized by KIIT School of Management (KSOM), aimed at providing opportunities to the participants to learn models and methodologies of leadership relevant to a wide spectrum, while also learning the recent developments in leadership styles & strategies. It aimed to equip teachers, corporates with managerial skills across a range of competencies in various areas. Eminent academicians, industry leaders, doctors, therapists were an important part and parcel of the workshop and provided insightful information into various subjects and topics. The sessions were supplemented with polls, Q&A sessions, Simulations, Videos and activities conducted in different groups.

The Faculty Development Program (FDP) which was a five day long program, constituting of total 15 sessions was inaugurated in the presence of Honourable VC of the University, Prof. Dr. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Esteemed Registrar, Prof. Dr. Jyanaranjan Mohanty, Revered Guest of Honour Dr. Ranjeet Nayak and the Director of KSOM, Dr. Saroj Mahapatra, as well as Dean of KSOM,Dr. S. N Misra. The session began with a warm welcome address given by the Dean of the School Dr. S N Misra who rightly pointed out the significance of leadership in transforming countries. Taking it forward, the gathering was heartily welcomed and addressed by Dr. S.K. Mahapatra, Director of KSOM  by giving an overall overview of this five day FDP Program. The participants were greeted by our Honourable VC, Dr. Hrushikesha Mohanty, he rightly mentioned the significance of leadership in every domain and how the meaning of leadership and roles could vary from person to person for the next generation even. Prof. Jynaranjan Mohanty, Registrar of the University also shared his views and thanked the guest for his valuable insights.

The esteemed guest for the inaugural session Dr. Ranjeet Nayak, Former World Bank staff and Chief Govt. Advisor to the Govt. of Macedonia on International and European Union Affair appreciated KSOM, KIIT University for organizing a FDP on an apt topic like ‘Leadership GenNext- Exerting Influence without Power’ and shared his experience in diverse roles he had held. He indulged the participants to ponder upon the skills, expertise, and competencies that a leader requires to possess.

Dr. Saroj Mahapatra Director, KSOM KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, started off the first day of the program by sharing his insights on the topic, Leadership exerting influence. Dr. Saroj emphasized the importance of a leader and how his method of leading others can influence the outcomes. Session 2 was addressed by, Dr. Gourav Das Laparoscopic & Bariatric Surgeon, AMRI, Utkal Hospital, Bhubaneswar. Dr. Gourav primarily addressed the issues faced by a leader in the healthcare services, he gave insights into the dynamic environment and the steps that such leaders need to take to enhance precision and efficiency in healthcare. The last session of the DAY-1 was addressed by, Dr. Shwetaleena Bidyadhar SVP & Global Head, MPS Interactive, Mumbai. Dr. Shwetaleena inspired the audience to recognize the importance of Designing Hybrid Classrooms for GenNext, in the most facile manner.

On day-2 of The Faculty Development Program, three eminent speakers addressed the attendees on several significant topics and issues. While Dr. Debjani Roy, Chief HR Officer at Mind Your Fleet (Kromozones Software Pvt. Ltd.) Former HR Head, SRL diagnostics, brought into the light, The Transformational leadership model in Corporates, Dr. Raiguru Mangesh, Corporate Guru Founder, Twaran, Mumbai talked about Neurolinguistic Leadership. Mr. Jayanth Jayaprakash Founder, Director &CVO at I2E Harmony Pvt. Ltd. Influencer, Transformist, Listener, Healing, Micro-blogger, addressed the final session and spoke about how design thinking is essential component of leadership and captured the immense potential that the faculty across the nation has, to take humanity to a different level.

On the Day-3 of the programme, Dr. Ashok K. Sar Professor, KSOM KIIT Deemed to be University, delivered a session on Leadership & Academic Alliances, where he gave a detailed explanation about ‘What ?’, ‘Why ?’ and ‘How ?’ of academic alliance and the role of leadership in the same. This was followed by a Session by Prof. Sunil Sarangi.In his deliberations, Sunil Sarangi of XLRI, Jamshedpur discussed in detail how leadership can influence without authority, he began with the explanation of non-conventional power types and went on to talk about the soulful persuasion and the factors of intrinsic motivation. The last session of the day witnessed the insightful interaction of the audience with Dr. S.N Mishra, Dean, KSOM, KIIT University. Dr. Mishra drew the timeline of the facets of transformational leadership and also shared his unforgettable experience with Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

The discussions of Day-4 began with an exercise by, Dr. Mitali Das Consultant Psychiatrist, Epworth, South Eastern Consulting Suites, Berwick & Monash Health Greater Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Das deliberated on one of the most crucial topics of current scenario- Modern day stress, while she explained the cases and consequences of such stress, she also gave productive ways to reduce the stress and live a more fruitful life. In the second session Mr. Srimanta Panda GM, Finance, NALCO, delivered a presentation on the topic- “Leadership & Financial Planning”. He very vividly touched upon the issue how sound financial knowledge is essential to carry with every individual to grow as a better leader. The last session of the day saw the delivery of Dr. Abha Mishra UNDP, Head, Bhubaneswar. She highlighted on Role of Social Sector/NGOs in exerting influence & shaping leadership. Dr. Abha, uncovered Social Leadership, by supplement the session with examples and videos and appreciated and saluted Prof. Dr. Achyuta Samanta for the incredible work he is doing to mankind and society at large.

The final day of the Faculty Development Program, commemorated with a musical session, on the topic, Stress Management through Music Therapy, carried by Dr. Isa Mishra Associate Professor KSOM, KIIT Deemed to be University & Dr. Ipsita Nayak Assistant Professor KSOM, KIIT Deemed to be University.The session attracted a lot of enthusiasm and exhilaration from the attendees, as the notable speakers sang harmoniously, the audience also joined them in form of musical activities and chorus. The second session of the day also witnessed a similar kind of liveliness as, Dr. Jayalaxmi Samal, Zonal Head Bharatiya Yog Sansthan, Odisha and Assistant Professor, Management Studies, Sri Sri University, Cuttack revealed the evil of stress and the power of Yoga.

The final session of the FDP was taken by Dr. Shikta Singh, Associate Professor, KSOM. She threw light on ‘DISC’- the way of describing the patterns in a person’s behaviour and using that knowledge to predict how they are likely to act in the future. He touched upon the role of Behavioral biases in shaping leadership.

The Valedictory Session was addressed by Mr. Suvasis Ghosh, Director & Head of Client Growth and Development, Dr. Saroj Mahapatra, Director of KSOM, and Dr. S.N. Misra, Dean of KSOM along with the faculty members, Resource persons and participants of the 5-day Program. Mr. Suvasis shared his experience as how one learns through the varied roles of job he is vested with, which turns him into a great influential leader.

The FDP conducted drew humongous appreciation and encomiums from the participants for conceptualizing and delivering the entire program by KSOM Organizers and the Convenor with punctuality and tireless efforts. To mark the successful completion of the program, a video containing the glimpses of the entire program was dedicated to all the eminent speakers and participants.The Faculty Development Program (FDP), was ended with a Heartfelt Vote of thanks to all by the FDP Convenor Dr. Shikta Singh.

IIL will Imbibe the Culture of Continuing Education: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit

Date: February 23, 2021

The foundation plaque of Indian Institute of Law (IIL) was unveiled by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge, Supreme Court of India; Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge, Supreme Court of India; and Hon’ble Mr. Justice V. Ramasubramanian, Judge, Supreme Court of India in Bhubaneswar recently. Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra, Sr. Advocate and Chairman, Bar Council of India (BCI) & Bar Council of India Trust (BCIT); Mr. Ashok Parija, Advocate General, Odisha; Mr. Debi Prasad Dhal, Sr. Advocate and Executive Chairman, BCIT; Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Associate Managing Trustee, BCIT and Founder, KIIT & KISS and a host of legal luminaries graced the Foundation Ceremony of Establishment of Indian Institute of Law (IIL) by BCIT at KIIT Deemed to be University.         

IIL, being set up by the Bar Council of India through its trust (BCIT) with the support of KIIT Deemed to be University, will be a model institute of law teachers' academy for promoting continuous legal education and research along with skill development of law teachers and practising lawyers. The institute will facilitate young law school teachers of the country and advocates to enhance their expertise, professional skills and acumen. It is the first-of-its-kind institute in the country

Speaking at the Foundation Ceremony, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit welcomed the establishment of the IIL and commended BCIT and KIIT Deemed to be University for the step. “Change is the only constant in life. Continuing education is important in every profession; it is part of everybody’s life. Perhaps, this is the first step which will again imbibe the culture when we will be having more and more such institutes, and more and more the idea of continuing education taking root in everybody’s mind”, he stated.            

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai congratulated BCI and KIIT for this very important step. National Law University in Bengaluru set up by BCI in 1988 brought a sea transformation in legal education and quality of lawyers. Similarly, establishment of IIL is also a milestone in the history of Bar Council of India, he said. He expressed confidence that the IIL with the support of BCI and KIIT Deemed to be University will produce the faculties who would provide quality education to the students throughout the country. It will also produce faculties who will imbibe the constitutional values among the students, he said.   

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Mr. Justice V. Ramasubramanian said that there are currently more than 1000 law colleges in the country producing about 2.5 lakh law graduates every year. The IIL will address disconnect between academicians and professionals, he added. In his welcome address, Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra said, “Currently there is no training institute in Law in the country to cater to the skill development needs of law teachers and advocates.”

He expressed his gratitude to Prof. Achyuta Samanta for his generous support to the initiative. KIIT Deemed to be University is providing all necessary assistance in terms of land and infrastructure for this one-of-its-kind institute, he mentioned. Mr. Mishra admired Prof. Samanta’s selfless service to the society through Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which is providing education to 30,000 underprivileged tribal children in a fully free and residential setting.

“Establishment of an institute of national importance like IIL in Bhubaneswar is a matter of pride for the state of Odisha”, said Prof. Achyuta Samanta. Thanking the BCI for partnering with KIIT Deemed to be University, he said, “Though KIIT is a young university, it has been accorded ‘Institution of Eminence’ tag by the Govt. of India. KIIT is the Winner of ‘Awards Asia 2020’ in the category ‘Workplace of the Year’ by the Times Higher Education (THE). Besides academics and research, it has made significant contributions in the field of sports and social outreach”.

Legal education has transformed a lot over the last three decades, said Mr. Ashok Parija. “Today, along with engineering, medicine and management, law has become a preferred field of study for aspirational youths. IIL will go a long way in improving the quality of law faculty in the country”, he said. Earlier, providing a brief introduction of the IIL, the legendary legal educationist Prof. N. L. Mitra said, the institute will professionalize the legal education in the country. It will be developed as an institute of national character with the motto, “Unity, Capacity Building and Justice”, stated Prof. Mitra, who is former Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University. He commended the BCI for the initiative.      

Mr. Manas Ranjan Mohapatra, Sr. Advocate, and Member, Special Committee, Odisha State Bar Council proposed the vote of thanks.

PRESS Meet by BAR Council of India through BCI Trust & KIIT

Date: February 01, 2021

The Bar Council of India is a statutory body created by the Parliament under the Advocates' Act, 1961 to discharge the functions of regulating and promoting Legal Education and Legal Profession in the country. The Bar Council of India through its Trust namely “B. C. I. Trust for Promotion of Education (Legal & Professional) and Reforms in Law and For Improvement of Research and Social Training”, has taken the initiative to establish the “Indian Institute of Law (IIL), a Model Institute of Law Teachers' Academy, Continuous Legal Education and Research. The academy would primarily be for the teachers of Law.

The IIL would work in collaboration with Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), the famous Deemed University at Bhubaneswar in the State of Odisha. Till date, there is no Training Institute in Law to cater to the needs for skill development of the Law Teachers and the Advocates. In the Indian Institute of Law (IIL), the young teachers of Law Schools of India and Advocates would enhance their expertise and professional skill and acumen.

B.C.I. TRUST had earlier established the iconic institution for Legal Education namely, National Law School of India University (NLSIU) at Bangalore in the year 1986, which continues to be the model Law University of the country. This will be the first of its kind in the entire country. Such Institution was long contemplated by the Bar Council of India and its Trust. But the idea of B.C.I. could not be materialized earlier due to one or other reason. The Bar Council of India and its Trust finally contacted Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), a great visionary, Academician and Founder of KIIT & KISS, Deemed Universities and after visiting both the campuses of KIIT and KISS, members of the Bar Council of India decided and resolved to establish the Indian Institute of Law (IIL) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha in collaboration with and support of KIIT University. B.C.I. Trust has entered into an MoU with KIIT and accordingly KIIT has provided requisite land at the prime location of Bhubaneswar (Patia). This apart, the KIIT will also bear 40% of the cost of the infrastructure of the proposed campus of 1.5 lakh sq. feet area.

There is no doubt that the establishment of IIL will have far reaching ramifications in the field of legal education by reinforcing the position of the State of Odisha and India in the map of global education. It would be a great achievement and pride for Odisha in particular and the Country in general. Indian Institute of Law will administer and run various programmes for Continuing Legal Education, professional skill development programmes, refresher courses, and learning courses for Alternative Dispute resolution methods viz. Mediation and Conciliation. Under various centers of learning; it shall undertake research in all aspects of law, justice and social development.

It shall publish case books, periodicals, digests, magazines, newspapers etc. (both in hard copy and soft copy through online and offline means) on various law subjects for Lawyers undergoing legal training and Legal education for the purpose of Continuous Legal Education. The Institute shall organize and conduct seminars, symposiums, Training programs for Advocates, Academicians and Judges. It shall collaborate with National Law Schools, other good Universities, Professional Bodies, The Judiciary, Government Departments and NGOs from within and outside India, and with different Bar Associations, State Bar Councils and Institutions of Eminence in India and abroad or other organizations connected with legal work for advancement of its objects.

The IIL shall have the following units at the initial stage:

(i) Academic Staff College (ASC)

(ii) School of Continuing Education (SCE)

(iii) IIL Training Centre (IIL-TC)

(iv) Center for Legal Aid (CLA)

(v) Bridge courses for Foreign Degree-holders.

The IIL will constitute General Council, Executive Council and Academic Council and will have adequate representation from the Higher Judiciary, Government, Ministry of Education, UGC, Academicians, Senior Members of the Bar, the Chief Justice of Odisha etc. Bar Council of India shall be carrying out all the programmes of the Institute on its own for the initial 3 years. After that, some National Law Universities/other Institutions with good infrastructures will also be allowed to impart the courses on the pattern of IIL. We have resolved to actively involve and take the aid, assistance and guidance of Hon’ble sitting and former Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Renowned Jurists and reputed Senior Advocates, eminent leaders of the Bar and persons of eminence besides noted Law teachers of NLUs and other renowned and academicians. They will be the Full time Teachers, guides and/or Honorary guest teachers.

This apart, B.C.I. Trust shall also invite noted Law Deans, Judges and Members of Bar from countries across the world for the aforementioned programmes. All the above noted Legal giants shall share their pearls of wisdom and experience which will not only benefit the law teachers and law practitioners, but also provide them with a wonderful opportunity and platform to interact and learn from legal luminaries from India and abroad. We believe this Indian Institute of Law shall be a landmark in the history of legal education and legal profession which will greatly aid in the dispensation of law and justice.

We are grateful to Dr. Achyuta Samanta ji, the distinguished educationist, philanthropist and founder of KIIT and KISS Deemed to be Universities, who has accepted our proposal and has provided through his Trust such a valuable piece of land at Bhubaneswar for the establishment of this Novel Institution. Indeed, the coming generations of Lawyers would be indebted to Dr. Samanta.

Yes, Dr. Samanta is really a messiah for the poor tribals and education seekers. We all know, Dr. Samanta, the founder of two world class Universities, Medical, Engineering, Management, Nursing, Law, Arts and several other big Institutes provides free boarding, lodging and fooding to about 35000 tribal students everyday apart from providing them free education, right from Class I till Post Graduation. We have not seen or heard of such a great man ever in the world, who does such enormous charity so unassumingly. He is a man who remained unmarried and does not possess a single piece of land or property in his name. Whatever he has, is for the society and for the poor, destitute, deprived and helpless people and with the primary aim of educating them and providing them with skill training and making them self sufficient to stand on their own feet, he was able to establish two world class Universities under his leadership.

This he could be able to achieve by dedication, devotion, vision, relentless perseverance and with the blessings of Lord Jagannath. It is due to this, that the Bar Council of India has unanimously decided to dedicate to him the establishment of Indian Institute of Law at Bhubaneswar, Odisha for bringing forth marvelous achievement and excellence in the field of Law-Teaching.

Shaking off Covid-19 Gloom, KIIT on Track to Achieve Record Placement for 2020-21 Graduating Batch

Date: January 13, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill in the country and the entire globe. Even as the student community is among the worst-hit - academic activities are yet to resume in schools and colleges – KIIT Deemed to be University was the first institution to adapt to the "new normal". It is the first university in the country to start online classes for its 30,000 students in 50 countries right from the beginning of the lockdown. Online teaching-learning, which is continuing successfully and effectively, has helped the university to maintain its academic schedule perfectly. KIIT has smoothly conducted all academic processes like examinations, convocation, seminars, workshops, etc. on virtual mode due to its good technology and high internet bandwidth.

KIIT was founded in 1992 as a modest vocational training centre by eminent educationist and social activist Prof. Achyuta Samanta. However, it was opened as a centre of higher learning in 1997, which is considered as the base year. The first batch of degree engineering students passed out in 2001. KIIT is known for its very successful track record in campus placement since its inception. Maintaining the trend, it achieved excellent campus placement for the 2019-20 graduating batch.   

Despite the prevailing pandemic situation, the university is on track to achieve record campus placement for its 2020 – 21 passing out batch also. The process, which commenced online from July 1, has already resulted in the placement of about 80% eligible students of the Schools of Technology (SOT) of KIIT Deemed to be University.

Shaking off Covid-19 gloom, as many as 90 companies have visited online for campus placement for the 2021 passing out batch generating 3500 job offers. Over 2500 SOT students have already been placed in different national and multinational companies. As many as 1000 students have multiple offers in their hands. Students have bagged jobs offers with high pay packages of Rs. 30 lakh, Rs. 24 lakh and Rs. 19 lakh, while the average salary is Rs. 6 lakh. Going by the commitments from companies, KIIT is set to achieve placement of 700 more students by April 2021.Even though the campus placements are being conducted online, KIIT has bettered its record compared to the last academic session. Campus placement in KIT School of Management and KIIT School of Law has just started and it is hoped that these two Schools will also achieve cent percent success like every year.

Parents and students are very happy over the placement achievement in KIIT. After the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, parents and guardians of students had become disheartened about the future of their children, particularly in terms of campus placement. The job market scenario was looking very bleak with the entire corporate world resorting to reduced staffing and even mass retrenchment due to the prolonged lockdown. However, against all odds, KIIT has been ensuring very good campus placement for its 2020-21 graduating batch. It has been possible due to the leadership of its founder Prof. Achyuta Samanta, who has ensured a strong branding of KIIT in the corporate world and an exceptionally proactive Training & Placement Cell.  

KIIT has academic tie-up with 195 international universities providing an excellent opportunity for students to pursue higher education abroad. KIIT facilitates the academic placement of about 500 students every year in reputed national and international institutions for higher studies. Renowned academicians, industry leaders and prominent personalities from all walks of life visit KIIT and students gain immense exposure by interacting with them. Under the innovative platform Nobel Lecture Series, 22 Nobel Laureates have delivered lectures at KIIT on subjects ranging from medicine, chemistry, physics, biotechnology to economics.

Research accomplishments of the faculty and students demonstrate the positive impact of KIIT's focus on quality academics, research and innovation. Currently, nearly 100 research and consultancy projects are funded by various national and international funding agencies. Faculty members and research scholars of the University have published about 12,000 papers in various national and international journals of repute. Over 4500 research papers have been indexed in international databases like Scopus with a high citation index.

Besides a truly world-class infrastructure, KIIT's focus on quality academics and research are reflected in its accreditation in high grades by various national and international accreditation bodies. It has been recognized as an 'Institution of Eminence' by the Govt. of India. It is accredited by NAAC in 'A' Grade and by NBA in Tier 1 (Washington Accord) for engineering streams. Its B.Tech programmes have also got the coveted Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK accreditation.

KIIT has been ranked 1st among self-financing institutions of India in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020, an annual ranking by the Govt. of India. It is the winner of 'Awards Asia 2020' in the category 'Workplace of the Year' by the Times Higher Education (THE). Among several accolades, it has been conferred with the 13th Quality Council of India - DL Shah Quality Silver Award and Viswakarma Award by the AICTE. KIIT also has impressive positions in national and global rankings like NIRF, Times Higher Education (THE), Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and many others.

KIIT has the highest contribution to promote sports and games in the country as a university. It has the most elaborate and comprehensive sports infrastructure located at an educational institution. KIIT has produced hundreds of talented sportspersons who have brought glory for India at various international level meets like Olympics, World University Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

QCI-DL Shah Quality Award to KIIT

Date: December 18, 2020

KIIT Deemed to be University has been conferred with the 13^th Quality Council of India - DL Shah Quality Silver Award at the inaugural ceremony of the 3^rd Virtual Quality Conclave recently. Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-Vice Chancellor, KIIT received the award, which was given for implementing SAP successfully. Besides KIIT, CMC Vellore, KG Hospital & Post Graduate Medical Institute, Coimbatore and Chitkara University, Punjab are other educational institutions to feature in this awards list across different categories.

Expressing pleasure over the achievement, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, KIIT has been giving importance on adopting digital innovation and best practices to improve processes, products and services. He thanked NBQP/QCI and D.L. Shah Trust for selecting KIIT for this prestigious award. KIIT is the first university in the country to implement SAP in all its schools and processes at a time in 2013. KIIT has been selected after going through five stages of selection procedure.

The assessment for the selection was made on the basis of various parameters including problem/solution clarity, Ingenuity and Innovation in approach, Data source and collection, Technical approach, Team working, Diagnosis of the problem, Benchmarking used in the project, Impact of the project: tangible benefits, intangible benefits or socio economic and environmental benefits. The assessment was done by a team of experts from NBQP/QCI and D.L. Shah Trust. Quality Council of India (QCI) is an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The QCI-DL Shah Quality Awards were launched in 2007. It has been given in various sectors including Govt. enterprises, Public Sector, manufacturing sector, IT, finance, infrastructure, healthcare, education, MSME, pharmaceutical, food sector, etc. 

KIIT holds virtual convocation, 7135 students awarded degrees

Date: Novemeber 23, 2020

Total 7135 students of 2019 – 20 graduating batch of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar received their degrees at its 16^th Annual Convocation, held in virtual mode. Students received degrees virtually from the Chief Guest Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank & Nobel Peace Laureate, Bangladesh in the presence of His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Spiritual Leader & Founder, Art of Living and other dignitaries. The University conferred Honoris Causa Degrees of D.Litt. upon His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Shri S. K. Chaudhary, Chairman & MD, IRCON International Ltd. and Honoris Causa Degree of D.Sc. on Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department, Govt. of India.

“You are entering a new phase of life. Education is a long and difficult journey but it makes you capable to transform the world”, Professor Muhammad Yunus told the graduating students in his convocation address.

Introducing Prof. Yunus, who was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his social innovation of microcredit, to the students, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said that he has imagined and is relentlessly working for “A World of Three Zeroes” - zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. He expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra and Shri S. K. Chaudhary for accepting Honoris Causa degrees from KIIT Deemed to be University.

“The pandemic has damaged the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the world. With 50% of the world struggling to make a living, it has revealed weaknesses in our system. It is an opportunity to redesign a world, which will be more just, more equal and more resilient”, the Nobel Laureate stated. Our present system suffers from an extreme polarization of wealth with 99% of wealth concentrated in the hands of 1% population and global warming that is threatening our very existence. “With your learning and imagination, it is possible to redesign a new world”, he told the graduates, while urging them to explore entrepreneurship as an option.

In his address, the Chief Speaker His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stated, "The purpose of education is to build a strong personality that is equipped to convert new challenges into opportunities and broadmindedness and humility to continue learning forever". He underscored the importance of inner strength, perseverance, patience and creativity for achieving success in life. He was awarded Honoris Causa D.Litt. for “his great contributions to the field of spiritualism and world peace”. The award citation mentions, “The world is indebted to you for your humanitarian initiatives to end conflict in some of the most troubled regions of the world like Colombia, Kosovo, Iraq, Syria, and Cote d’Ivoire”.

KIIT conferred Honoris Causa D.Sc. degree on Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra for “his stupendous contributions to the field of cyclone early warning system and passion to save lives with science”. Popularly called the “Cyclone Man of India”, Dr. Mohapatra has helped save tens of thousands of lives by his accurate predictions during numerous powerful cyclones like Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), Titli (2018), Fani (2019) and Amphan (2020). “The award is a recognition for the contribution of science for the society and will encourage students and practitioners of science”, said Dr. Mohapatra in his acceptance speech.    

In his acceptance speech, Shri S. K. Chaudhary said, “KIIT and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) have made tremendous contributions in the field of education in the last two decades. I congratulate the Founder of KIIT & KISS for doing such a great service to the society”. He was conferred Honoris Causa D.Litt. “for his outstanding leadership and great contributions to the infrastructure sector”. Under his leadership, IRCON International Ltd. has taken great leaps and has become a leading engineering and construction organization with significant international footprints.

Prof. Ved Prakash, Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University, Padma Shri Prof. (Dr.) Subrata Kumar Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro Vice Chancellor and Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar also spoke at the convocation ceremony and expressed their best wishes to the graduate students.

Prakhar Priyesh (B.Tech.), Srishti Raj (M.Tech.) and Roshan Ojha (B.Tech.) won Founder's Gold Medals for their outstanding all round and academic performances. Similarly, 23 students were awarded Chancellor's Gold Medal, while 28 students got Vice Chancellor's Silver Medal. P.K. Bal Memorial Gold Medal, PPL Gold Medal, Nanibala Memorial Gold Medal and Shri Krushna Chandra Panda Memorial Gold Medal were also given away on the occasion. Ninety-five research scholars were awarded Ph.D. degrees.

KIIT Wins ‘The Awards Asia’ 2020

Date: November 18, 2020

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University has won the THE Awards Asia 2020 declared by the Times Higher Education (THE). KIIT, which has been declared winner in the category ‘Workplace of the Year’, is the only institute in India to get such prestigious recognition. It got this recognition “for its unstinting commitment to its staff and students, in particular to its early career faculty".

KIIT is well known for its decentralized governance, in which prominent staff are provided with ample autonomy and power to deliver their assignments. It is the only self-financing university which is above family domination. All senior functionaries are renowned academicians and they are chosen through a transparent process with merit as the only criteria.

Staff and faculty members gave all the credits to its Founder, Dr. Achyuta Samanta for the achievement. Dr. Samanta has given much importance on working comfortably with freedom both in financial and administrative aspects. He has created an ambience and work culture where faculty and staff could work with free hand to deliver their assignments. As a result, KIIT has been a student-friendly, parent-friendly, people friendly and environmentally friendly campus since its inception.The  judging panel, joined by guest experts, evaluated hundreds of institutions that have launched initiatives to support students, teachers, researchers and local communities before declaring KIIT the winner.

Achyuta Samanta Elected as President of Volleyball Federation of India 

Date: November 18, 2020

Prof. Achyuta Samanta, MP Kandhamal & Founder, KIIT & KISS has been elected unopposed as the President of Volleyball Federation of India (VFI). He is the first person from Odisha to be elected for this highest and prestigious post of the Volleyball Federation of India. With this, Prof. Samanta has become entitled to be the member of the Olympics Association of India. It is not only a great honour for the Odisha Volleyball Association, but also a matter of pride for Odisha. The Odisha Volleyball Association congratulated Prof. Samanta for the achievement and expressed good wishes for future endeavours. Shri Raj Kumar of Punjab has been elected as Executive Vice President, while nine others were elected as Vice President of VFI. Shri Anil Choudhury of Rajasthan has been elected unopposed as Secretary General of VFI. The term of the newly-elected body is from 2020 to 2024. Prof. Samanta thanked the VFI for electing him as the President. “He will try his best to take the federation to a new height”, he said.

COVID-19 Pandemic: KIIT & KISS Reach the Unreached

Date: October 06, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated the normal life and livelihood of people all over the world. Odisha too has been hit hard by the pandemic. Many organizations and individuals have come forward to supplement the Government’s efforts to deal with the emergent situation. Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), under the leadership of its Founder Prof. Achyuta Samanta, have also taken a series of initiative right from the outbreak of the disease and have been at the forefront of Odisha's war against the coronavirus. In one of the most significant measures in Odisha's war against Covid-19, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a constituent of KIIT Deemed to be University, set up four ultramodern dedicated Covid hospitals with the support of the Govt. of Odisha, located in Bhubaneswar and three tribal-dominated districts of Odisha. The hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 1200. KIMS Covid Hospital in Bhubaneswar, a 500-bedded state-of-the-art facility including 50 critical care beds, is India's first standalone Covid hospital. The quick turn around time in setting up the Covid Hospitals has saved thousands of lives.    
 
In a mammoth community service response, KIIT & KISS reached out to various groups facing hardship due to the extended lockdown. The intervention included the distribution of food materials and other essentials to over 3 lakh pandemic-hit people, including the disadvantaged people living in various slums,stranded migrant labourers, who were also provided temporary shelter, and people living in containment zones. Community outreach activities of KIIT & KISS strived to reach the hardest-hit and commonly overlooked people – transgenders, sportspersons, physically challenged,sex workers, etc. They were provided with allowances to cope with the prolonged lockdown. Food materials and cash to meet other expenses for three months were given to priests and other workers of several spiritual centres in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and nearby towns. The two institutions are providing groceries and cash for miscellaneous expenses to over 40 orphanages, old age homes and leprosy centres in Kandhamal district.
 
The student community is one of the worst affected groups in the Covid-19 pandemic.KISS is a home for 30,000 tribal students from interior districts of Odisha pursuing their studies from Standard-I to PG/Ph.D. level. Days before the outbreak of the pandemic, they were sent to their respective homes in various districts of Odisha. As the students are in their respective homes, KISS has been sending study materials, dress and generous amount of dry foods at the doorsteps every month since April. The monthly materials also contain sanitary napkins for the adolescent girl students. This will continue until reopening of KISS.

Prof. Samanta, who has always put the education of these tribal students above everything else, arranged for the textbooks, study materials and dried food items to be provided at the students;doorsteps at the start of the new academic year.  Inspired by the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India), KISS has revved up its vocational skill centre during the Covid-19 pandemic. The centre has been scaled up to become a medium-size industry and is now making 25 different types of vocational products. These products are marketed through well developed distribution channel, besides fulfilling the in-house requirements of KIIT & KISS. 
 
The first six months of the ongoing pandemic has made many children orphans. Such children, particularly those belonging to the poorer sections, are suffering an untold tragedy. They are vulnerable to become victims of child abuse and human trafficking. KIIT & KISS have adopted and are taking care of about 100 such orphans and providing them monthly allowance ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10000, depending upon the family size. As and when the academic institutions reopen, they will be provided with free education and subsequently complete higher education in KIIT & KISS.Support to orphans and children of the Covid-deceased has been possible due to its Founder, Prof. Achyuta Samanta’s personal childhood experience of hunger and poverty that he had to suffer after he lost his father at the tender age of four. He has always been striving to ensure that no child is deprived of quality education because of untimely death of parents or poverty.

KISS Foundation Enables Meritorious Gupchup seller to study in KIIT-DU

Date: October 05, 2020

KISS Foundation has extended a helping hand to a poor meritorious Gupchup seller to enable him to pursue mechanical engineering course in the prestigious KIIT Deemed to be University. Thanks to KISS Foundation, Rahul Mahat, a meritorious student who opted to sell gupchup, will now pursue technical higher education in KIIT.

Rahul, who hails from Anandpur under Anandpur municipality of Kendujhar district, secured 87 percent marks in +2 exams this year. Though he dreamt of becoming a mechanical engineer, he couldn’t fulfil it because of poverty. His father, the sole bread earner of the family, died a few years back. Due to poverty, even after getting good grades in +2, he took to selling Gupchup in the market to manage his family. 

On knowing about him from the media, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KISS Foundation and MP, Kandhamal contacted Rahul’s family through his representatives. Dr. Samanta immediately announced that KISS Foundation will take the responsibility of his education in KIIT Deemed to be University free of cost. Besides education, KISS Foundation will also facilitate his suitable employment, Dr. Samanta assured. Expressing happiness, the family members of Rahul conveyed their gratitude to the KISS Foundation and Dr. Samanta for this noble gesture. It is an endeavour of KISS Foundation to ensure that not even a single child is deprived of education due to any unfortunate circumstances, added Dr. Samanta.

Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award to KIIT 

Date: September 18, 2020

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University has been awarded with the Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award-2020 for its excellent performance in specific domains leading to significant contribution towards national growth and development. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India has given this award to KIIT-DU for post COVID-19 redevelopment / rehabilitation plan. The award was presented in 13 different categories, while KIIT is the only one organization in India to get the award in the above category. AICTE had held a competition “AICTE-Vishwakarma Awards-2020” for the students and AICTE-approved institutes to encourage and motivate young students and institutions to raise their performance in their specific domains. AICTE recognized and honoured the innovative work of the KIIT-DU for its social work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards were declared in the presence of Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Hon’ble Union Minister of Education; Prof. Anil. D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; Dr. M. P. Poonia, Vice-Chairman; Prof. Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary and other eminent educationists and dignitaries.

KSOM Ranked 2^nd in Times BBA Education Ranking Survey 2020

Date: September 03, 2020

In yet another landmark, KIIT School of Management has been ranked 2^nd in the Times BBA Education Ranking Survey 2020. The Times Survey report was published today. The Survey was conducted on the top BBA colleges offering full time BBA courses in India. The research had three major modules including Desk Research, Factual survey & Perceptual Rating survey. Post collection of data a methodical analysis was done to rate the various BBA colleges that participated in the study and rank them accordingly. The survey was executed during the 1st week of July to 3rd week of August 2020.

The ranking process in the current year, imbibed a holistic research module involving an objective study and a perceptual study. While the objective study is done to capture a true reflection of what exists, the perceptual study on the other hand is deemed important to comprehend how the different actors and the stakeholders perceive the institutes. Thus, these two modules in tandem help to make the ranking process more robust.

KSOM is one of the oldest private B-schools of the country with a glorious past. With 80% faculty from corporate and half of them from IIMs, IITs, XLRI, MDI and other top B Schools of the country, the teaching quality is world class. Many of its students have gone to head companies, start their own venture, or occupy senior management positions in various organizations. Congratulating the students, faculties and staff of KSOM over the success of KSOM, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, it is one of India’s most premier B-schools and have been consistently ranked as one of the best B-schools of Eastern India, year after year.

International Webinar on New Education Policy at KIIT  

Date: August 31, 2020

Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank’, Minister of Education, Govt. of India inaugurated an International Webinar on National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, organized by KIIT Deemed to be University recently. The inaugural session of the three-day webinar was also graced by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; Prof. D. P. Singh, Chairman, UGC; Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Dr. Pankaj Mittal, Secretary-General, AIU; Prof. Ved Prakash, Chancellor, KIIT DU; Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU; Prof. T. V. Kattimani, Vice Chancellor, Central Tribal University; and Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU. This is the first of its kind meet on the NEP 2020, bringing 30000 students, Vice Chancellors, policymakers and intellectuals from 50 countries on a common platform. More than 100 research papers have also been received. The three day webinar concluded today. 

Inaugurating the webinar, Dr. R. P. Nishank said, “The NEP 2020 is a student-centric policy and reflects dreams and aspirations of the people as it has been framed following wide-ranging consultations. Provisions for early childhood education, emphasis on mother-tongue based early childhood education; focus on skills, credit bank and multiple entry and exits are some of the important student-centric features of the policy". 

Terming NEP 2020 as a “game changing policy”, Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe suggested a single data system for institutions for regulatory reporting and accreditations. Throwing light on vision of the new policy, Prof. D. P. Singh quoted the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, “NEP 2020 will transform students into global citizens while keeping them deeply rooted in India’s history and culture”. The policy will promote integrated inclusive research solutions to human problems, he stated, adding that focused and timely implementation of the policy are important. The New Education Policy will enable the country to reap the demographic dividend and achieve SDG 2030 goals, said Mr. Amitabh Kant.  

“NEP 2020 provides a big push to vocational education, which is of paramount importance”, Prof. Ved Praksh said, adding that having qualified, competent and caring teachers in each and every class is the challenge before us. Outlining salient features of the NEP 2020, Dr. Pankaj Mittal termed it as democratic, student-centric and forward looking. Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty underscored the importance of integration of science and technology and social sciences as a panacea in the testing time of pandemic.

Prof. T. V. Kattimani, who was a part of the drafting committee of NEP 2020, spoke about the importance of mother tongue and skill education in the new policy. Prof. Sasmita Samanta outlined the objectives of the webinar and introduced the dignitaries to the international audience. Eminent litterateur Mr. Haraprasad Das also spoke on the occasion.

Mega Digital HR Conclave at KIIT

Date: August 29, 2020

Two-day Mega Digital HR Conclave has inaugurated in KIIT today on the theme 'The Future is Now – Rewiring the Workplace’. Inaugurating the conclave Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, this topic is very relevant in the current context. A lot of change has happened in the economy because of the pandemic. Rewiring the workplace will bring in positivity in the tough times. Citing examples of KIIT and KISS he said, these organizations rapidly adapted to the situation and integrated digital workspace and blended learning thereby becoming one of the first educational institutions to respond and overcome the pandemic situation.

This conclave was one of the biggest digital events to have been held in India and saw participation by 200 eminent corporate personalities from 17 countries spanning 5 continents. The conclave had an audience of more than 30000 from industry, academia and student community.

Among others Mr. Scott Friedman, Author of “Celebrate! Lessons Learned from World’s Most Admired Organizations”; Mr. Manoj Kohli, Country Head, SoftBank India, Dr. Hrushikesh Mohanty, VC, KIIT Deemed to be University; Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-VC, KIIT-DU; Dr. S. K. Mahapatra, Conclave Chairperson and Director, KIIT School of Management; Dr. Sanjay Muthal, CEO, Kontempore; Dr. Kumar Mohanty, Director, Corporate Relations, KIIT and Dr. Saranjit Singh, Director, Industry Engagement and Placements, KIIT were present on the occasion.

The inaugural was followed by 16 panel discussions digitally happening across 9 different schools of KIIT. Some of the themes under discussion were ‘The Altered Workplace-Opportunities and Challenges’, ‘Reinventing the Rural Workplace’ and ‘HR 4.0: Is the workplace ready for New Age Technology like Block chain?’ The panellists were eminent speakers from various national and international corporations. A total of 100 workshops are also being organised on day 2 of the conclave. This digital conclave has been able to create a digital platform to connect industry, academia and student community. 

ARIIA 2020: KIIT Bags Top Spot Among Self-financing Institutions in the Country  

Date: August 18, 2020

In a landmark achievement, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar has been ranked No. 1 among self-financing institutions of the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), 2020 of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. SRM Institute, Chennai and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore have bagged the 2nd and 3rd ranks respectively.     

The ranking report for 2020 was announced by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Vice President of India in the presence of Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Govt. of India; Shri Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education; Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Hon’ble Chairman, AICTE; Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Higher Education and other dignitaries at an august ceremony in New Delhi. ARIIA is an initiative of Ministry of Education (earlier Human Resource Development), Govt. of India to systematically rank all major higher educational institutions and universities in India on indicators related to “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development” amongst students and faculties.

KIIT, which was ranked 2nd in the 2019 ARIIA Rankings, improved its rank this year to bag the top spot. KIIT Deemed to be University, recognized as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Govt. of India, has achieved the top place in this prestigious rankings due to its innovation and entrepreneurship centers, advanced laboratories, centers of excellence, collaborations with industries and international institutions. Known for its student-friendly culture, it lays high emphasis on involving students in research, development and innovation activities.   

“I congratulate KIIT on this achievement. We have moved to the first position this year from second place last year. It is the story of our growth in the realm of research and innovation. I thank Hon'ble Minister of HRD, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank ji for recognising our efforts”, said Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT-DU and Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha.

Free Education in KIIT-DU for Children of Covid Deceased in Odisha

Date: July 27, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has infected millions and caused much panic across the globe, including India and Odisha. The number of new coronavirus infections is increasing by day in Odisha. Many have also lost their lives. KIIT has always reached out to the distressed people at the time of natural calamities in the state. It has become the pride of Odisha as it has always stood by the people of the state at the time of their need.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated normal life and livelihoods of the people of Odisha. Now KIIT Deemed to be University has extended a helping hand to the families of the Covid deceased. Acting on a proposal by the Founder of KIIT & KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT-DU has decided to provide technical and professional education absolutely free of cost to the children of the Covid deceased. 

Sons and daughters of the Covid deceased, who are interested, can apply to different Technical and Professional courses of KIIT-DU, including ITI and Diploma, as per their eligibility for admission. This facility will be available for two academic years, 2020-21 and 2021-22 only, informed KIIT authorities. Preference will be given to the children of Covid deceased from BPL, SC, ST and SCBC categories. The move will provide relief to the people of Odisha who have been made helpless by the pandemic.

KIIT is the only university in India and abroad to extend such humanitarian gesture to the families of the Covid deceased.

KIIT Intl. School Students Excel in CBSE 10th Board Exam

Date: July 16, 2020

Students of KiiT International School (KiiT-IS), Bhubaneswar posted excellent results in the Class X examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), results of which were declared recently. The highest mark scored by Subhomita Chakraborty is 98% with 35% of students having scored above 90%. All students have secured first division in the Examination. KiiT-IS offers CBSE, IGCSE and IB DP curriculum has always excelled in academics and all co curricular activities since the past 14 years of its inception. Congratulating all students for their success Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, it is possible only because of proper care and modern teaching methodology. He thanked Chairperson Dr. Monalisa Bal, Principal Dr. Sanjay Suar and other staff for their effort towards this success.

KIIT, KISS & KIMS Salute Corona Warriors by Singing ‘Bande Utkala Janani’

Date: June 01, 2020

Staff of KIIT, KISS and KIMS sang “Bande Utkala Janani” honours and motivate Corona Warriors at KIMS Campus. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Thursday had urged people of the State to show solidarity with COVID Warriors by singing ‘Bande Utkala Janani’, . Showing solidarity with the frontline COVID Warriors including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and others, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT, KISS and KIMS said, it is the duty of all Odia people to honour them. He thanked all the doctors and other staff of KIMS who are treating Covid patients, putting duty above their families. He also thanked staff of KIIT, KISS and KIMS who are dedicatedly preparing and distributing food and other essential commodities to the needy people, including police personnel on duty till date.

KISS Provides Food Items and Study Materials to its 30000 Students

Date: May 28, 2020

Days before the nationwide lockdown, around 30000 students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar were sent back to their homes in their respective villages. As a result, the students had not got their textbooks for this academic year. Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, who has always put the education of these tribal students above everything else, arranged for the study materials and dried food items to be provided at the students' doorsteps.

On behalf of KISS, Flattened Rice, Sugar, Dal, Biscuit, Soap, Textbooks and allied study materials have been provided to students of all classes of KISS. As per the instruction of Dr. Samanta, the staff and teachers of KISS have been working on this plan since the last 15 days. Today, these materials were sent to all the KISS students in different districts of Odisha by 25 buses in the presence of Dr. Samanta, Shri R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS and Dr. P. K. Routary, CEO, KISS.

The materials will be handed over to the guardians of the students at specific places. Showering profuse praise on KISS and its Founder Dr. Samanta, the guardians remarked that Dr. Samanta not only has thought of imparting education to our children, but has taken such a magnanimous initiative in sending study materials and food items to us. They expressed their gratitude to the institute and Dr. Samanta.In fact, during the lockdown period, KISS Management has been continuing its best possible measures to provide teaching to all KISS students by means of Digital Technology like Online and Smart-phones.

Aerial Salute to 'Corona Warriors': Air Force showers flower petals on KIMS

Date: May 04, 2020

Indian Air Force showered flower petals on Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Covid Hospital, Bhubaneswar in a flypast from its Helicopters today as a mark of gratitude from the Nation to the medical professionals fighting Covid-19. The IAF took this unique initiative to boost the morale of the Covid Warriors, who have dedicated themselves to save lives of the patients affected by novel coronavirus. The KIMS Authority has expressed pleasure for the show of solidarity by the IAF.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for motivating and lifting the spirits of the Covid Warriors at KIMS. Because of this, the willpower of all the Doctors, Nurses, and Paramedical Staff along with all others Covid Warriors will be strengthened by and large and they would continue their fight against the novel coronavirus with renewed zeal”, stated Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS & KIMS. He also thanked Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik for his support to open a special Covid Hospital at KIMS. As a result, it has been possible for us to witness such a remarkable and memorable moment today, added Dr. Samanta.

"We have come forward to such an extent in this war against Covid because of Dr. Samanta’s consistent endeavor to augment our moral strength", said all the doctors present there. Among the dignitaries, Dr. Subrat Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University; Dr. Bishnu Prasad Panigrahi, CEO, KIMS; Maj. Gen. Dr. P.K. Patnaik, Principal, KIMS and Dr. Ambika Prasad Mohanty, MS were present to witness the aerial Salute along with many staff members  of KIMS, KIIT & KISS.

Milk Tooth Removed from Airway in a 7-year Child at KIMS

Date: May 01, 2020

Kalinga Institute of Medical sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar performed successful removal of a foreign body from the airway of a 7-year old child. It was blocking almost half of the lungs for which the child was feeling breathing difficulty. The procedure was smoothly completed despite an extremely challenging situation due to COVID-19 pandemic. In the ENT Department of KIMS, majority of the operative procedures require oral or nasal intervention which is considered to be a harbouring area of COVID 19 virus. As such there is a high possibility of aerosol transmission to health care workers.

The child, hailing from Soro, Balasore, presented with shortness of breath and cough after waking up from sleep. Earlier, the patient had visited various nearby institutions but a definitive diagnosis and treatment could not be given. In KIMS, Dr. Khageswar Rout, senior ENT surgeon examined the history and reports of the patient and found that there was a recent loss of milk tooth which was missed. He ordered a computed tomography of the airway which revealed a tooth obstructing the right bronchus. After discussion with the patient attenders, further treatment plan was taken up for emergency rigid bronchoscope with optical forceps. Under all aseptic measures, including personal protection equipment (PPE KIT) for all operation theatre staffs, a rigid bronchoscopy was performed with spontaneous ventilation. Since the visible part was smooth and slippery, the removal of the milk tooth was difficult and challenging for the senior surgeon and his team.

This life saving procedure was made possible by the team work of KIMS doctors from the Departments of ENT and Anesthesia. The leading surgeon was Dr. Khageswar Rout, who was assisted by Dr. Gifty Zacharias, Dr. Rachit and nursing staff. Excellent anaesthetic care was provided by the team consisting of Dr. Jagdish C. Mishra, senior anaesthetist, Dr. Amit Pradhan, Dr. Amrita and Dr. Aparna Jayaraj. Thanking the doctors and health care personnel of KIMS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS thanked the team and said, the treatment shows the commitment and social responsibility of KIMS amid COVID 19 pandemic. He wished the child a speedy recovery.

COVID-19 Hospitals become operational in Balangir, Phulbani & Mayurbhanj

Date: April 18, 2020

COVID-19 hospitals are coming up throughout Odisha after the initiative of Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik in this regard. Two COVID-19 hospitals, managed by KIMS, Bhubaneswar and financed by Govt of Odisha, have become operational in Balangir and Kandhamal districts from April 14, 2020, and one in Mayurbhanj district from April 15, 2020. This has become possible due to the support of the Chief Minister and the State Government.

The COVID-19 Hospital in Kandhamal has 150 isolation beds, while in Mayurbhanj and Balangir the Hospitals have 200 isolation beds each. Both Balangir and Mayurbhanj COVID-19 Hospitals are functioning from the mega campuses of KISS inaugurated recently in these two districts. Earlier, two ultramodern dispensaries were built inside these two campuses of KISS.The processing for 10-bedded ICU in Phulbani COVID Hospital is in progress, while work on 20-bedded ICU in Balangir and Mayurbhanj each will be completed within a week. KIMS, Bhubaneswar has taken the responsibility of operation of these hospitals with the support of respective district administrations.

About 60 employees, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, biomedical engineers, electrical engineers and house-keeping staff, of KIMS have joined these hospitals. Three teams have been formed of doctors and medical workers in each district with support of the concerned district administrations. The teams will work there and manage the hospitals. These Covid hospitals will be managed under the direct supervision of Dr. Subrat Acharya, Pro-Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University and guidance of Dr. Bishnu Prasad Panigrahi, CEO, KIMS, while Dillip Kumar Panda, Registrar, KIMS has been appointed as nodal officer for these hospitals.

All modern facilities are available in these hospitals in addition to Hi-end ambulance, two innova cars and 24x7 power backup facilities. Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS thanked Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik and Govt of Odisha for giving the opportunity to KIMS to open these three Covid-19 hospitals in three tribal dominated districts of Odisha. Dr. Samanta also encouraged the doctors and other medical staff of KIMS who have joined these Covid hospitals and wished them success to fight the pandemic.

500-Bedded Odisha COVID-19 Hospital Becomes Operational in KIMS

Date: April 03, 2020

A 500-Bedded Odisha COVID-19 Hospital, managed and run by Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar, has become operational recently. Govt. of Odisha is financing equipment and operational costs through the CSR policy of OMC. Odisha COVID-19 Hospital has been set up under a tripartite agreement among Govt. of Odisha, KIMS, and OMC. Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha declared the hospital operational in the presence of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; Dr. Subrat Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to University and Dr. Bishnu Prasad Panigrahi, CEO, KIMS.

The Odisha COVID Hospital has a 500-bed infrastructure, including 50 critical care beds. It is well-equipped with the latest instruments and other facilities. The Odisha COVID Hospital is functioning from a dedicated block of KIMS having a dedicated and exclusive team of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and housekeeping staff. COVID suspects as well COVID patients will have a separate entrance and exit to the KIMS campus and not intermingle with non-COVID patients. The Hospital has no linkage with other departments of KIMS and is led by Dr. Bishnu Prasad Panigrahi under the guidance of Dr. Subrat Acharya. “The Hospital adheres to the standard best practices and follows WHO and ICMR guidelines. It will be functional round the clock”, informed Dr. A. Samanta.

KIMS Inks MoU with Govt of Odisha to Set up COVID-19 Special Hospital

Date: Mar 27, 2020

Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) has signed an MoU with the Govt. of Odisha to set up a COVID-19 Special Hospital to combat the spread of novel Coronavirus in the state on Thursday. The MoU was signed by Dr. Bishnu Panigrahi, CEO, KIMS on behalf of KIMS in the presence of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Dr. Subrat Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University and other Government officials.

This is one-of-its-kind initiative by the Government and KIMS to ensure that the people of Odisha get state-of-the-art infrastructure and the services of best doctors to treat and tackle this pandemic. Dr. Samanta expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik for choosing KIMS as a partner for this noble endeavour, and giving it the opportunity to serve the people of Odisha in their time of need. 

"The vision of Shri Patnaik in tackling COVID-19 has been proactive and ahead of any other Indian state, and this MoU takes that vision one step further. KIMS will definitely put in all possible effort to justify the Chief Minister's faith and fulfil his vision, and serve the people of the state in a better and bigger way", Dr. Samanta said.

"It is true that doctors of KIMS might have to take on additional load, but they are willing to give their all for the welfare of this wonderful state. I hope that this partnership will bear fruit and we can soon have a COVID-19 free Odisha”, he added. 

Khelo India University Games: KIIT Campus turns into Mini-India

Date: February 25, 2020

The Khelo India University Games 2020 got off to a flying start at KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, India. The opening declaration was made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video conference. The opening ceremony was graced by Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India, and other dignitaries.

The event is a moment of pride that it is being organized at KIIT Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is the largest of its kind extravaganza of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and a dream project of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Govt. of Odisha and Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik have extended their support and provided all necessary aid to make this event a huge success.

"Hosting such a coveted event, Odisha undoubtedly is going to script history in the Indian sports", stated Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). "The Prime Minister has been encouraging sports in a big way. As a result, university students are now showing interest in sports", he said, while expressing thankfulness to the Govt of India, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Govt of Odisha, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik and particularly the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Hon'ble Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju. Shri Naveen Patnaik has been promoting sports in Odisha and has supported KIUG with happiness.

Remarkably, KIIT is the one and only University in India where adequate international standard sports infrastructure and facilities are available. For which, Govt of India decided to pick KIIT to host Khelo India University Games. It is pertinent to note that, Govt of India has been trying its best to elevate the stature of Khelo India at par with Commonwealth Games. Given this, KIIT has completed all sorts of preparations. More than 4000 athletes and 1000 officials from approximately 200 universities across the country are accommodated at KIIT. "KIIT has always been promoting sports and sportspersons, so we have left no stone unturned to host such a coveted Grand Sports Meet successfully. To shape our dream, the officials and staff of KIIT are working diligently day in and day out under our guidance. Apart from boarding at KIIT, we have made meticulous arrangements on how the players will be given a basketful of fresh fruits every morning”, he added.

Khelo India features 17 different events, out of which Kalinga Stadium and JNL Indoor Stadium are the venues of two events each. The inaugural event was held at JLN Indoor Stadium, Cuttack. KIIT has taken the beautification and renovation measures in its surrounding area and roads in view of this mega event. As many as 100 participants from KIIT Deemed to be University are taking part in different events of Khelo India. 

KIIT to host the 1^st Khelo India University Games 2020

Date: February 21, 2020

KIIT, Deemed to be University, is all set to host the first Khelo India University Games of 2020. It is a matter of immense pride and pleasure to organize such a mega event at KIIT-DU in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It is the largest-of-its-kind sports extravaganza of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt of India, and a dream project of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Govt of Odisha and Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik has provided all kinds of support and cooperation to make the meet a huge success. "Hosting such a coveted event, Odisha undoubtedly is going to script history in the Indian sports", stated Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT and KISS at a press meet in Bhubaneswar. 

"The Prime Minister has been encouraging sports in a big way. As a result, university students are now showing interest in sports", he said, while expressing thankfulness to the Govt of India, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik and particularly the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Hon'ble Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju. Shri Naveen Patnaik has been promoting sports in Odisha and has supported KIUG with happiness.Remarkably, KIIT is the one and only University in India where adequate international standard sports infrastructure and facilities are available. For which, Govt of India decided to pick KIIT to host Khelo India University Games. 

During the KIUG, more than 4000 athletes and 1000 officials from approximately 200 universities across the country will be accommodated. "KIIT has always been promoting sports and sportspersons, so we have left no stone unturned to host such a coveted Grand Sports Meet successfully. To shape our dream, the officials and staff of KIIT have been working diligently day in and day out under our guidance. Apart from boarding at KIIT, we have made meticulous arrangements on how the players will be given a basketful of fresh fruits every morning", he added.

There will be 17 different events in Khleo India, out of which two events will be conducted at Kalinga Stadium. The other two events at JNL Indoor Stadium. The Inaugural event will be held at JNL Indoor Stadium, Cuttack. KIIT has taken the beautification and renovation measures in its surrounding area and roads because of the grand event. 

As many as 100 participants from KIIT Deemed to be University are taking part in different events of Khleo India. Among others, Parminder Singh Ahluwalia, Coordinator, IAU for Khelo India; Somesh Upadhyay (IAS) from Sports & Youth Services, Govt of Odisha; Dr. Samita Samanta, the Pro-VC and joint Chief Executive Officer of KIUG; Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Member Advisory Council & Director Sports, KIIT Deemed to be University; Olympian and KIIT student Dutee Chand and Rutuparna Panda, Indian badminton player were present.

Naveen Patnaik Inaugurates Motilal Oswal-KISS Residential School

Date: February 19, 2020

The Balangir Unit of KISS Bhubaneswar, Motilal Oswal-KISS Residential School, witnessed the inauguration by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patanik recently. Addressing the school Chief Minister said, "I am delighted to inaugurate the Motilal Oswal-KISS Residential School at Balangir. I hope this school will play a key role for the development of tribal children in a backward region like Balangir. For such an accomplishment, I congratulate the Founder of KIIT and KISS Dr. Achyuta Samanta and the Managing Director of Oswal Group Shri Motilal Oswal ''.

"Education provides strength to us to march ahead. It brings changes in society. The State Govt. has taken many steps in educating children belonging to scheduled caste and tribe. Besides, the Govt. has been prioritizing to provide value-based education to tribal children", he added.

Gracing the occasion as Guest of Honour, Hon’ble Minister of Women & Child Welfare and Mission Shakti, Govt. of Odisha Mrs. Tukuni Sahu said that the people of Balangir will be indebted to Dr. Achyuta Samanta for his contribution in establishing a modern Residential School for the tribal children of the district. This School will usher a new era in the domain of education for the tribal children of the district, she hoped.

Hon’ble Member of Parliament (L.S.) for Balangir Smt. Sangita Kumari Singh Deo said, the tribal people are the primitive inhabitants of Balangir district. For their wholesome development, both State and Central Govts have been taken many welfare measures. She expressed gratitude to Dr. Achyuta Samanta and Shri Motilal Oswal for setting up a Residential School for the tribal children of Balangir. Hon’ble MLA of Balangir, Shri Narsingh Mishra said, “We should extend our support to Dr. Achyuta Samanta for his consistent and noble endeavour to empower the tribal students through education. It is very difficult to find a selfless and dedicated social worker like Dr. Samanta in the world”.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Motilal Oswal said, “There is no greater gift to mankind than education. The society undergoes a sea change through education. Motilal Oswal-KISS Campus has amused me. We can establish such kinds of schools for tribal children if get the right support and cooperation”. Chairperson of Motial Oswal Foundation, Ms. Sunita Agarwal informed that the Foundation has been doing many exemplary works in the field of education. “Our work will fetch dividends when thousands of children will successfully complete their education from this school”, she added.

The founders of KIIT and KIIS Dr. Achyuta Samanta briefed about the Motilal Oswal-KISS Residential School. Motilal Oswal Financial Services Group Chairman, Mr. Ramadeo Agarwal, Mrs. Bimala Oswal and Collector of Balangir, Shri Arabinda Dakua were present as well. More than 20,000 people attended the inaugural ceremony. 

71^st Republic Day Celebrated in KIIT & KISS

The 71st Republic Day was celebrated by KIIT and KISS on 26th January. Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS unfurled the National Flag; while K.P. Ramaswamy, Chairman, KPR Mills Ltd. graced the event as Chief Guest.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Ramaswamy urged the students to follow the noble ideals of the heroes of our freedom struggle. In his address, Dr. A. Samanta said, "when we fully eradicate poverty and illiteracy from society and make the downtrodden people live with honor; then we only can achieve the goal of comprehensive development.  He further went on to add that "The students of KIIT and KISS are the pride of the Nation".

On this occasion, parade and diverse colors and patriotism based cultural shows were displayed by the students of KIIT group of institutes & KISS. Among the dignitaries, Kim Seung-Jae, Professor, Hanseo University, South Korea; Olympian Dutee Chand; Prof.(Dr.) Subrata Acharya, Pro-Chancellor, KIIT DU; Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, VC, KIIT DU; Prof. Harekrishna Satapathy, VC, KISS DU; Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-VC, KIIT and Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT DU were present.

Kalinga Global Film Festival Concludes at KIIT

Date: January 24,2020

The 4th edition of the weeklong Kalinga Global Film Festival (KGFF), the annual event of the KIIT School of Film and Media Sciences concluded recently. Film ‘An Irrelevant Dialogue’ directed by Moinak Guho of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), won the first prize. Harihara Sudhan K won the second prize for ‘Patharosa’ (SRFTI), while Pratik Gupta of Film and Television Institute of India(FTII) received third prize for ‘Junction’. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000, for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize respectively along with a certificate and trophy.

The Special Jury Award was given to Ashish Pandey for ‘Nooreh’ (Independent) while the Jury Mention award went to Prataaya Sarkar for ‘Little Things’ of School of Film and Media Sciences, KIIT Deemed to be University.

The jury members including Prof Pankaj Saxena, Screen Studies and Research FTII, Pune, Dr Piyush Roy; critic, columnist, curator, scholar and filmmaker, Tripura Mishra, veteran Odia Actress and Mahim Joshi well known Bollywood director, writer and producer, Jury chairman Premendra Mazumder, Vice President, Federation of Film Societies of India were present on the occasion. 

The 4th KGFF started at KIIT in association with the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) on January 18. Around 15 feature films, short films, and documentaries from all over Asia in the Asian window and 26 films in the student competitive section were screened.  In-country focus, South Korean movies were shown to the audience. The objective of the festival was to encourage and ignite young minds, enrich intellectually inclined cineastes, and promote aspiring filmmakers.

Among others, Eminent Cine Producer Akshay Kumar Parija; Korean film director Myung Ku Han; eminent journalist Pradosh Patnaik; eminent film critic Dilip Hali; journalist and film critic Premendra Mazumder; eminent film actor Mihir Das, and eminent poet; Jnanpaith awardee Sitakanta Mohapatra; Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, and Himansu Sekhar Khatua, CEO KSFM were grace the valedictory session of 4th KGFF.

KIIT inaugurates 4th edition of Global Film Festival

Date: January 22, 2020

KIIT School of Film and Media Sciences recently inaugurated the 4^th edition of the Kalinga Global Film Festival at its campus. The inauguration ceremony was graced by Tusharkanti Behera, Minister, Sports & Youth Service, Electronics & Information Technology, Govt. of Odisha.

It was also attended by delegates like Anubhav Mohanty, MP, Lok Sabha; Satyabrata Tripathy, Chairman Odisha Film Development Corporation; Bijay Kumar Nayak, Director, Culture Department, Govt. of Odisha; Prof. Pankaj Saxena, Professor of Screen Studies and Research FTII, Pune; Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS and Himanshu Khatua, CEO, KIIT School of Film & Media Sciences.

Inaugurating the event, Tusharkanti Behera said Odia Cinemas need to improve more and it should maintain uniqueness. Pankaj Saxena said students of KIIT School of Film and Media Sciences should reflect in their movies what they learn from around them in Odisha. From next year it will be organized in a very bigger way, informed Dr. A. Samanta. 

The objective of this film festival is to encourage and ignite young minds, enrich intellectually inclined cineastes and promote aspiring filmmakers. KGFF intends to organize a festival that would connect regular moviegoers, budding filmmakers and the movie buffs with the distinguished filmmakers so as to bring about greater understanding of the art and craft of filmmaking said, Shri Khatua.

KGFF will be presenting a selection of feature films, short films, and documentaries from all over Asia and screening of more than 15 films in the Asian Window section. The selection of competitive students’ short films has been made out of 50 films submitted. Delegates and critics from the country and abroad have participated in the festival. Besides this, there will be three-panel discussions on Film Society Movement, Film Appreciation and Critical Analysis, and Film Education.

Awards will be presented at the closing ceremony of the festival and all films screened under the competitive category as the official selection process are only eligible for completion. All the winners will get a KGFF trophy, Cash Prize and certificate of excellence as an award. The best film will be awarded INR 1 Lakh.

KIIT’s Founder Initiates Mega Job Mela in Kandhamal, Odisha

A two-day job Mela was organized at Philbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal. As many as 7000 rural youths were placed in 71 companies in Kandhamal Parliamentary Constituency. This was taken by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Kandhamal Lok Sabha MP in cooperation with the district administration.

The Mega Job Mela was a resounding success with rural youth, mostly having under matric qualifications, getting jobs with salary ranging from INR 10000 to INR 20000 in well-established companies. The companies will provide other facilities, in addition to salary. Over 14,000 youths from Kandhamal parliamentary constituency participated in the job mela, while 12,000 youths registered their name for placement.

The event was attended by youth from Phublani, Kotagarh, Tumudibandh, Baliguda, K. Nuagaon, Daringbadi, Raikia, G. Udaygiri, Tikabali, Chakapada, Phiringia, Khajuripada block, and Phulbani Municipality area of Kandhamal district, Gania, Daspala and Nuagaon block of Nayagarh district, Bhanjanagar and Jagannath Prasad of Ganjam district. On the second day, the event was organized at Boudh where 2000 youth from Kantamal and Boudh Block registered their name for placement. A total of 21 companies participated, selecting 700 youth.

Dr. Samanta has been trying his best for the last 6 months to bring more companies to the mela to ensure maximum placement. Nearly 120 buses were arranged for the transportation of youth from various blocks to the mela. He also made arrangements to take the placement teams of various companies to Kandhamal after their arrival in Bhubaneswar. It has been possible only for the initiative of Dr. Samanta, they opined.

Naveen Patnaik Inaugurates Adani-KISS Tribal Residential School 

Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, inaugurated the Adani-KISS Tribal Residential School at Bankishole, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha recently. On this occasion Shri Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group; Shri Sudam Marandi, Minister, Revenue and Disaster Management, Govt. of Odisha; Shri Bishweswar Tudu, Member of Parliament (LS), Mayurbhanja; Smt. Sarojini Hembram, Member of Parliament (RS); Shri Prakash Soren, MLA, Baripada; Dr. Priti Adani, Chairperson, Adani Foundation; Sh. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer & Director, Adani Ports, and Special Economic Zone Ltd. and Dr. Achyutananda Samanta, Founder, KISS, and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology were present.

Addressing the gathering Shri Patnaik said, "Education is empowerment and the real transformation is possible through education. The work of KISS and its founder Dr. Samanta for the empowerment of tribals through education is really praiseworthy".  Dr. Priti Adani said, "Education is the most powerful tool for social transformation. Adani Foundation is happy to strengthen the education scenario in the far off tribal areas of Odisha by partnering with the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS)".

In his welcome address, Dr. Achyuta Samanta said, "28 years back KISS took initiatives to include the tribal community in the mainstream of the society through education, which has been proved successfully today. Now KISS is the largest tribal institution and the first Tribal University in the world. More than 30 thousand students are currently pursuing their education from KG to PG, while 20 thousand students completed their education successfully and place in different sectors. 10 thousand more students are pursuing their education in ten branches in ten tribal-dominated districts of Odisha in the current academic session. It is not important for KISS that 60 thousand students are getting an education, what is important is that it has created awareness among more than 60 lakh tribal students of Odisha and other states of India".

Dr. Samanta said "Many tribal organizations and intellectuals requested me many times to open a branch in the Mayurbhanj district for underprivileged and poor tribal children. Today their requests have been fulfilled. The poor tribal students of Mayurbhaj district will get quality education in Adani-KISS residential School. In the first phase, fifteen hundred students of Mayurbhanj district will be enrolled from standard I to XII. The pass out students of standard XII from Adani-KISS can pursue their higher education in KISS Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Also, it has been decided by KISS, that only the candidates of Mayurbhanj will get employment in Adani-KISS. Adani-KISS is fully equipped with all modern facilities. Adani-KISS is established on 50 Acres of land with the complete financial support of the Adani Foundation."

On this occasion, a 50 bedded hospital in Adani-KISS campus was inaugurated by Dr. Priti G Adani. The hospital will serve the students, staff of Adani-KISS as well as the common people of Mayurbhanj district. The 24 x 7 hospital is managed by the Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha. As many as 20 thousand people from across Mayurbhanj witnessed the program. Lastly, Karan Adani proposed a vote of thanks.

KIIT Organizes 17^th Kadambini Literature Festival & Patrika Hat 

Date: January 5, 2020

"Human Values are the essence of Literature", opined the dignities in gracing the 17^th Kadambini Literature Festival and Patrika Hat held at KIIT Deemed to be University recently. Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest, former External Affairs Minister of India Salman Khurshid said "Human Values enjoy the uniformity across the religions. But it differs when presented in diverse languages."

The guest of honor and an eminent journalist, Rahul Dev said "The inclination towards the English language has been soared to such a level, it is envisaged that not any of Indian languages will able to upkeep its existence in years to come. India is a multilingual country, however, our excessive affinity toward the English language has thrown our own languages into jeopardy. In true sense, it is not a hazard of languages, but that of our civilization as a whole" 

Gracing the occasion, Mrs. Mridula Garg said "Literature is gradually losing it sheen, following the readers' apathy. That's why the reader base is declining day by day. Now, there is a widespread difference observed between the ethical and corporal values in our nation. While basic traits like compassion, kindness, humility, and tolerance fall within the domain of moral values, only literature can uphold these. The rapid depreciation of Human Values is taking its toll on its very survival. In such circumstances, we have to sustain our literature in order to upkeep our moral values at any cost"

On this occasion, the prestigious National level Nilimarani Sahitya Samman-2020 was conferred upon distinguished novelist Anuradha Ray. She was given 5 lakhs rupees as a cash award along with a silver medal. Accepting this prestigious award, Ms. Ray said, "I have a very long relationship with Odisha. I have visited Odisha many a time. However, after going through the English version of the Magnum Opus 'Paraja' of the legendary Gopinath Mohanty, I could only learn about Odisha". "Literature and the phenomenon of climate-change have tied the whole world as a family.  We should not discriminate among human beings along with surrounding geographical landforms. Besides, we should not have any prejudice to anybody", added Ms. Ray.  

Likewise, eminent litterateur Haraprasad Das bagged Kadambini Sahitya Samman-2020. In the form of the award, he got 1 lakh cash prize and citation. Accepting the award, he urged to sustain the specialty and originality of Odia language and literature which is based on the foundation of one thousand-year-old tradition.

Presiding over the function, Prof. Shantanu Acharya said "Literature is nothing but visiting one's inner self. Literature has no link with the society. As life is full of joy, therefore it should be drafted into literature in various humorous forms". While the Editor of Shatadru, Upendra Nayak was honored with Kadambini Editor Award, Priyabrata Das, Binodini Devi, Bhupen Mohapatra, and Rajeswari Dalbehera were conferred Kadambini Literature Award-2020. 

With this, the latest edition of Kadambini, Kunikatha and the English version of Iti Samanta's novel Shankuntalara Jhia were unveiled by the Guests. At the outset, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT & KISS  placed the Welcome Address and eventually, Editor of Kadambini & Kunikatha Mrs. Iti Samanta proposed Vote of Thanks. 

KIIT concludes Nanhipari Little Miss India 2019

Date: December 31, 2019

KIIT Deemed-to-be-University recently concluded its beauty pageant “Nanhipari Little Miss India” at its campus. In this event, 26 young girls between 13-16 years shortlisted for semi-final round from regional auditions from 24 cities spread over 23 States faced several competitions during the two-day event. 

In the Grand Finale, Gunveen Chhabra from Raipur, Chhattisgarh was crowned KIIT Nanhipari- Little Miss India 2019. Tapti Thakur of Bhopal and Vedika Rakshita of Patna were crowned 1^st and 2^nd runners up respectively. The top three also received a cash award of INR 3 lakh, INR 1 lakh, and INR 50000 respectively, along with the silver crown, trophy, and certificates.

In addition to the top three winners, many other titles were decided in the final round. Some of them are – Miss Rapunzel - Most Beautiful Hair; Miss Photogenic - Best pose in Photoshoot; Miss Fashion - Best Costume; Miss Cinderella - Best Personality and many more.

The winner received a 100% academic fee waiver subject to a maximum of INR 18 lakh for studying in any discipline in KIIT Deemed to be University. Besides that, the title winner of KIIT Nanhipari Little Miss India will go on a weeklong trip with a visit and stay in South Korea along with one of her parents. Both the 1^st and 2^nd Runners Up received a 50% academic fee waiver subject to a maximum of INR 9 lakh for studying any discipline in KIIT. The three top winners of the beauty pageant will also go on a visit to Egypt.

“During my childhood, it was my dream to have my own crown. ‘KIIT Nanhipari’ gave wings to my dreams by giving me an opportunity to showcase my talent in front of a large audience. It increased my self-confidence and my attitude towards life and goals,” says Ms. Yashika Singh from Delhi, First Runner Up of ‘KIIT Nanhipari’ 2018. After her success, Yashika got an opportunity to act in one of the best theatres in Delhi.

"Nanhipari provided me a platform where I discovered the truth behind beauty pageants. I always thought that beauty pageants are all about being the most beautiful, but it's actually not. You need to be pretty, confident, intelligent, smart and tough", says Anira Khan, a past participant. 

‘KIIT Nanhipari Little Miss India’ is a talent show for teenage girls between the ages group of 13-16 years. It was started in 2001 in a remote and small tribal town of Kendujhar District of Odisha. Patronized by eminent educationist and social activist Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar, it became a national event in 2004. 

Dr. Achyuta confers with Doctorate degree by IIS University

Date: December 24, 2019

IIS Deemed to be University, Jaipur conferred Honoris Causa D.Litt. degree upon Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT & KISS at its 8^th Convocation. The University honored him for his relentless contribution to social services and education with human values. 

The degree was presented by Justice Dalveer Bhandari, Judge, The International Court of Justice, The Hague in the presence of Justice S. N. Bhargava, Chancellor, IIS Deemed to be University. This is the 41^st Honorary Degree to Dr. Samanta from national and international universities. 

Expressing gratitude to the University, Dr. Samanta said, “I will continue my work for the society with commitment and determination to strive to create a level playing field for the marginalized children of the world.”  

All India Commerce Conference concludes at KIIT

Date: December 24, 2019

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) recently concluded 72^nd All India Commerce Conference 2019 (AICC) at its campus. More than 2000 delegates from all over India and five other countries joined the three-day conference. The event witnessed participation from eminent professors, research scholars, students from India and abroad.

The Annual General Body and Executive Council Meeting of the Indian Commerce Association (ICA) was held wherein they elected Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, KIIT as President of ICA for the year 2020-21. Prof. Sasmita said, this conference was very unique and appreciated the effort of young researchers who joined and participated in the conference. She also thanked the members of ICA for electing her the President of ICA. 

An international seminar on 'Global Business: Emerging Issues and Challenges' was also held at the Institute. Apart from this, 4 technical sessions also took place namely Skill India and Employment: Roadmap Ahead, Resurgence of Deprived Society: Reinvention and Resilience, Social Media: Interface between Policy Maker and Common Man, and Nonperforming Assets: Diagnosis and Management. 

Gracing the valedictory session as Chief guest, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, the 72nd AICC was a grand success and thanked the office bearers, members of ICA and delegates for their support.

KiiT International School Celebrates Annual Day

Date: December 23, 2019

KiiT International School celebrated its 13th Annual Day ‘InKredible-2019, Glory of India’ recently. Addressing the students Saswati Bal, President, KIIT & KISS said, Celebration of Annual Day of the School is special for each and every student. Students should be disciplined and try to be a good human being, she added. In his speech, Dr. Achyuta Samanta gave importance to the student-friendly teaching-learning process.

The best students of the school were awarded on the occasion followed by a cultural program performed by students. They also performed various cultural programs including Blooming Buds, Angelic Splendor, Brave Guardians, Flavours of India, Hoo-Hoo Hoochristmassy, Adoration of the Deity, Fiesta, En Masse, Hoof it with Yoga, Euphonic Zest, Incarnation of the Almighty, Music in Accord, were most enjoyable. On this occasion, the annual Souvenir ‘Carinae’ was released by the guests.

KIIT inaugurates a National Seminar on Rural Development

Date: December 20, 2019

KIIT and Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) recently organized a national seminar on 'Science & Technology: Rural Development.’ The event was inaugurated by KIIT in its campus among the presence of distinguished members. 

The guest list includes eminent ISCA scientists - Prof. V. L. Saxena, General President; Prof. S. Ramakrishna, General Secretary; Dr. B. K Das, Director, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute; Innovator Mihir Kumar Panda and Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT-DU.

The guests pointed out the importance of rural development for the social and economic well being of the rural communities. The technology should be used suitably in Indian villages to make the villagers empowered and cease migrating to cities. It is important to personalize agriculture and promote non-farming jobs in rural areas.

They went on elaborating that India is a self-sufficient country in terms of food production. The scientists, administrators and science activists must discuss issues related to rural development. With the help of science, we have to take necessary steps towards sustainable economic growth. 

KIIT to Host India’s Largest Commerce Meet

Date: December 20, 2019

The 72nd All India Commerce Conference of Indian Commerce Association (ICA), Golden jubilee celebration of Odisha Commerce Association, the 40th All Odisha Commerce Conference and an International Seminar on ‘Global Business: Emerging Issues and Challenges’ will be held simultaneously in KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar from December 20 – 24, 2019. This is for the first time that Odisha and KIIT are hosting academic meets of this magnitude in the field of commerce.

More than 3000 delegates from India and different parts of the world, including the USA, Australia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Kuwait, will participate in the meet. Academicians, researchers, practitioners and scholars will provide incisive insights on the burning topics of contemporary significance selected for the conference.

For the first time in history, in the run up to the ‘Commerce Mahakumbha’, Odisha Commerce Association is conducting a student test in 30 zonal colleges of Odisha with participation from 5000 commerce undergraduate students. The winners of all zones will be awarded with prizes encouraged to participate in the conference free of cost. Besides, that it is also decided to felicitate the crown of Commerce education of the state for their contribution to make the commerce education popular in the state.

Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS is the Chief Patron of the 72nd All India Commerce Conference, while Prof. Asoka Das and Prof. Hrusikesh Mohanty, VC, KIIT are Patrons. Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro VC is the Conference Secretary and Prof. Jayanta Kumar Parida, the Organising Secretary. It will be presided over by Prof. H. Venkatswarlu, President, Indian Commerce Association under the stewardship of Prof. Narender Kumar, Secretary, ICA.

This is a unique opportunity for the commerce fraternity of the country that at one conference, 972 research articles on the five themes will be presented and deliberated upon by more than 2000 delegates coming from India and abroad. Delegates will be presented with exotic cultural attractions of Odisha through the provision of sight-seeing of the golden triangle and scintillating cultural evenings.

KIIT organizes South Asia Communication Conference

Date: December 20, 2019

The 2^nd South Asia Communication Conference based on the theme ‘Journalism Education in South Asia: Is there any paradigm shift in over 100 years?’ was organized by KIIT School of Mass Communication recently The two-day conference was inaugurated in presence of Prof. Biswajit Das, Director, Centre for Culture, Media and Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT Deemed to be University and Prof. Himanshu Khatua, CEO, KIIT School of Mass Communication.

In his speech, Prof. Das said, in communication studies due to lack of a proper platform where we all come together to discuss and debate is going missing. Most of us are now depending on google. In all other important Indian conferences, there are some systematic debate and dialogue. We need this kind of debate and discuss in Journalism education. Journalism teachers should adopt a proper method, development, theory of Journalism, he added.

Emphasizing the need for a change of syllabus and curriculum Prof. Khatua said, KIIT Deemed to be university is now a point of attraction for Mass Communication and Journalism studies. B. Dash, Asst Professor & Course Coordinator, KIIT School of Mass Communication introduced the theme of the conference, while Ms. R. Nanda, Asst. Prof. KIIT School of Mass Communication proposed a vote of thanks. More than 24 eminent scholars from various South Asian countries presented their research work at the Conference.

Many eminent experts in the field of Communication and Journalism education including Dr. Ananda Mitra, Professor of Communication, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, USA; Dr. Abdur Razzaque Khan, Asso. Professor, Dept. of Mass Communication & Journalism, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee, Professor and Regional Director, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) delivered talks on journalism education during the conference.

15^th Annual Convocation of KIIT

- The youth of India can take the country to new heights: Shri Om Birla

Date: November 9, 2019

“India enjoys demographic dividend and our young population is capable of taking the country to new heights”, Shri Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha told the graduating students at the 15^th Annual Convocation of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar. Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees were awarded to 6578 students of 2018 – 19 graduating batch at the annual convocation, which was also graced by Dr. Surjya Narayana Patro, Hon'ble Speaker, Odisha Legislative Assembly; and Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) among other dignitaries.

He thanked Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS for providing free education to 30,000 tribal children through Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). “On one hand KIIT is providing world-class higher education to the aspiring young generation, on the other hand, KISS is empowering tribal children with education and skills. Prof. Samanta has dedicated his life for educating the underprivileged tribal children. He is doing a commendable work towards national reconstruction”, Shri Birla said in his convocation address.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Patro asked students to create new knowledge and use their knowledge to make the life of coming generations better. “Global warming and environmental degradation are posing a threat to the very existence of humankind. I hope you will use your education to develop new technologies to tackle these challenges”, he told the graduating students.  

Expressing best wishes to the students, Prof. Ved Prakash, Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University, in his presidential address, said, “KIIT has been chosen as an Institution of Eminence from amongst a pool of over 900 degree-awarding institutions of higher learning in the country. Such recognition within a short span of about fifteen years is a creditable achievement”. He advised the students to hold the values symbolized by Prof. Samanta, which is an amalgamation of service, sacrifice, commitment, passion and love for the underprivileged.

KIIT has received top national recognition for its technology incubation initiatives, informed Dr. Hrushikesha Mohanty, Vice-Chancellor in his report. Its students Dutee Chand has made the country proud by winning Gold Medals in 100m and 200m in the World University Games 2019 in Italy, he added. Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-Vice-Chancellor asked students to make it a lifelong practice to explore and reinvent oneself. Education is the best investment for building generations, she said.

Trisha Chatterjee (MBBS), Swagat Khatai, (M.Tech.) and Baidehi Ghosh (B.Tech. – CSc.) won Founder's Gold Medals for their outstanding all round and academic performance. Similarly, 20 students were awarded Chancellor's Gold Medal, while 23 students got Vice Chancellor's Silver Medal. P.K. Bal Memorial Gold Medal, PPL Gold Medal, and Nanibala Memorial Gold Medal were also given away on the occasion. Eighty-five research scholars were awarded Ph.D. degrees.

Shri Kiren Rijiju Visits KISS

Date: November 8, 2019

"I can see the future Olympians among tribal boys and girls of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Students of KISS can bring laurels for our country”, said Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State (Ind.) for Youth Affairs & Sports and Minister of State for Minority Affairs during his visit to KIIT and KISS recently. He spent ample time with 27,500 tribal students of KISS. 

Addressing the students, he hoped that India would be able to better its performance in the coming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tribal boys and girls have potential in sports and with proper training, they can be international standards.

He said, “I have visited Odisha many times, but I saw the real Odisha only today. The happiness of innocent boys and girls, especially the happiness of young people, is the real strength of India. Odisha is known for world-class sports stars like Dutee Chand. Tribal boys and girls of India will play a major role in the coming Olympics. India deserves more medals in the Olympics. The indigenous people of India are very valuable to the growth of India. As a tribal, I have dreamt of seeing the tribal being involved in the growth of India. And I would like to salute Prof. Achyuta Samanta for creating this beautiful and magnanimous institution, KISS exclusively for the young tribal boys and girls.

Tribal boys and girls have a natural talent in sports and we have to realize their full potential, he stated. "KISS is a world-class institute. When KISS is doing so much, it is the responsibility of the governments to come forward and give a helping hand. It is amazing that Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS struggled for the last 25 years to make it a world-class institute. He has sacrificed his entire life for the development of the poorest of the poor tribal people". He thanked Dr. Samanta for his commendable work for the tribal. "Love and affection I see among the boys and girls of this institute have won my heart", he added.

Among others, Vishal Dev, Special Secretary, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Govt. of Odisha; Dutee Chand, Olympian; R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS; and Dr. P. K. Routray, CEO, KISS was present. 

KISS Sets Another Guinness World Record

Date: November 8, 2019

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has achieved another World Record recently. As many as 26,382 tribal students of the institute created the world record and promoted oral hygiene through brushing their teeth simultaneously at a single venue at KISS. Facilitated by the Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences (KIDS), the event was organised in partnership with the Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry (IAPHD) and Colgate Palmolive India Limited. KISS broke the previous world record held by DPS, Delhi in which 16,414 students had participated in mass brushing in January 2016.

Sudam Marndi, Minister, Revenue & Disaster Management, Govt. of Odisha; Raghunandan Das, Minister of State (Ind.) for Water Resources, Information & Public Relations (I & PR); Rishi Nath, Representative, Guinness World Records; Ram Raghaban, Managing Director, Colgate Palmolive (India); Sabyasachi Saha, General Secretary, Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry (IAPHD); Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS; R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS; Dr. P. K. Routray, CEO, KISS; and officials from Guinness World Records were present and witnessed the colourful event.

Celebrating the ‘National Tooth Brushing Day’ on November 7 coinciding with the silver jubilee of IAPHD, students of KISS raised awareness for oral hygiene. This is the fourth Guinness World Record created by KISS. Earlier, it had set the double world record in 'largest human sentence’ reading "WE URGE FOR WORLD PEACE” and 'Most simultaneous high-fives’ at the same event on a single day in December 2015. In August 2017 it created a world record for the Largest Laughter Yoga Class. KISS is the largest free residential institute in the world, which imparts holistic education from KG to PG to 30,000 tribal children.

39th WCP Concludes at KIIT University

Date: October 7, 2019

Poetry has the capability to change the world, said Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India at the valedictory session of 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP). He said, "Compassion begets compassion. This is an extremely important idea when propagated through the powerful medium of poetry". "It is a matter of great pride for us that the Congress is happening in India this year, in the beautiful and historical state of Odisha. I also commend Dr. Achyuta Samanta for envisioning poetry as the best medium to promote brotherhood and peace. It is his vision that has brought all of us here together to celebrate thoughts, words, languages, rhythm, and meaning", he added.

Addressing the gathering, which included poets and writers from 82 countries, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Governor of Odisha said, Odisha is a divine land the philosophers of spirituality from all over the world have said that this land has the power to liberate. The beauty of this land is its caste-less, creed-less and colorless nature. Besides, sweetness, love, and compassion enrich the land. This land belongs to everybody because Lord Jagannath lives here. As far as Poetry is concerned, Lord Jagannath is also a Poet.

In his speech Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Union Minister of State for MSME, Animal Husbandry, and Fishery said, "I pay my respect to all the poets coming from all over the world. I'm inspired by this august congregation”. The earliest poetry of the world belonged to Valmiki when he saw the agony of the world. Quoting William Wordsworth, Shri Sarangi said, poetry is an emotional overflow of feelings and emotions collected in tranquillity. Poetry comes from the compassion of the heart. 

Dr. Maurus Young, President, WCP said, "Time goes very fast. The 39th WCP in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India comes to an end. In the past five days, we are impressed by the Culture of Odisha. It's a land of poetry. I found many talented young poets in Odisha. It's the most well organized and successful one in the history of WCP".

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Ernesto Kahan, First Vice President of World Academy of Art & Culture WAAC), USA said, "I am in a great country and great democracy, India. I found that it is also a country of Poets". The highest honour of WCP, ‘Golden Gabel’ was conferred on Dr. Samanta by the Vice President of India, while Honorary D. Litt was conferred on Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Governor of Odisha, Shri Santanu Kumar Acharya, Eminent Odia Writer, and Dr. Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Former Member of Parliament, and Eminent Poet and Writer. ‘Prodigy Author’ award was given to Anantinee Mishra, the author of ‘Treasure of Short Stories’ and Most Promising Writer award to Atmika Patnaik, Author of ‘The Journey of a Thousand Miles’.

Naveen Patnaik, CM of Odisha inaugurates 39^th World Congress of Poets in KIIT

Date: October 2, 2019

“Poetry has the power to change, transform and bring in a better social order” said, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha on October 2, 2019. Inaugurating the 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) in KIIT, he said, “We are celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the epitome of peace and non-violence. As the world congress of poets is all about the promotion of poetry as a natural and vital network connecting poets to the world’s need for cooperation and peace; for us here, creativity coupled with peace and non-violence is taking new strides. Odisha is a land of cultural pluralism having a rich and enviable tradition of poetry. The worldview in the immortal lines of our 19th-century poet Bhima Bhoi in the UNO Headquarters, which is now illuminating and igniting a million minds.” he added.

Speaking on occasion, Akhilesh Mishra, Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Govt. of India said, “poetry is the way to develop mutual understanding between us. Indian literature and poetry are very ancient. We can develop universal brotherhood and peace through poetry. Our Rigved is the ancient poetry of the world”. Prof. Ernesto Kahan, the 1st Vice President, World Academy of Arts and Culture, said “WCP is increasing day by day in terms of quality and quantity. Its main motto is world brotherhood and peace through poetry. We can bring change in the world through poetry”. Dr. Maurus Young, President, World Congress of Poets said, “India is the land of poetry. I have seen many WCP, but this World Congress is unique and marvelous. I thank Dr. Achyuta Samanta for organizing this 39th World Congress of Poets”.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS and President, 39th World Congress of Poets gave the welcome address while Dr. María Eugenia Soberanis, General Secretary, World Academy of Art and Culture proposed the vote of thanks. On this occasion, WCP conferred Honorary D.Litt. on Eminent Writer and Poet, Padma Bhushan Mr. Ruskin Bond; Eminent Artist, Ganesh Haloi; and presented Gandhi Prize for literature to eminent Gandhian and Anthropologist, Acharya Bhabananda. The poets from 82 countries unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and paid to tribute to Mahatma early in the morning. They also inaugurated the public library Karamchand (Gandhi Library) and celebrated Gandhi Jayanti with the 27500 students of KISS.

KIIT International Model United Nations 2019 Concludes

Date: September 20, 2019

KIIT International Model United Nations (KIIT MUN - 2019), one of the best and most anticipated MUN conferences in Asia concluded recently. The three day MUN from September 20 – 22, was graced by Prof. Claudio Ansorena Montero, Ambassador of Costa Rica to India; Fleming Raul Duarte Ramos, Ambassador of Paraguay to India; Hector Cueva Jacome, Ambassador of Ecuador to India and Ms. Barbara Wickham, Director of British Council in India along with other prominent dignitaries in its inaugural session. On the valedictory ceremony Akash Tiwari of PETA, India and Ms. Bharati Chandra, Odisha Head, Helpage India joined as guests.

Addressing the inaugural session, Ms. Barbara Wickham, Director of the British Council in India, highlighted the scenario of Human Rights in the 21st century. In the context of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, she said that India, through Mahatma, has a significant influence in the history of India and the world. She also laid focus on the exploitation of Technology and Global Awareness. Emphasizing the values of democracy, Prof. Claudio emphasized said: “We have to work hand in hand to promote democratic values all over the world.” Mr. Hector said the agricultural productivity in India is more than 2 to 3 times that of Latin America. Moreover, in IT, Education, Health and more sectors, India is miles ahead. Mr. Fleming said, “We, as ambassadors, have the main task to develop bridges to maintain a relationship.”

Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS, welcomed and introduced the distinguished Guests to the audience. Mr. Rohan Singh, Secretary-General, KIIT International MUN read out the Annual Report. Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, VC and Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Pro-VC, KIIT DU were present in the inaugural session, while Prof. Jnanaranjan Mohanty, Registrar, Deemed to be University and Dr. S. Behura, Dy Director, Students Services were present in the valedictory session. Like previous years, the event attracted student-delegates from all around the globe - more than 2500 students’ delegates joined this mega event.

KiiT IS Inks MoU with ASWB

Date: September 17, 2019

KiiT International School has become the first school in the state of Odisha to have joined hands with Autism Society West Bengal (ASWB) with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to ensure that the efforts for special education are not merely aspirational, but translate into healthy teaching practices for the benefit of the students.

Being part of the KIIT Group of Institutions with philanthropy as its beacon, the school has cemented its resolve as the society has seen the success story of KISS unfold under the guidance of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS. Also, Chairperson of KiiT International School, Dr. Mona Lisa Bal places inclusion as a high priority value of Education.

According to the MoU, West Bengal Autism Society led by Indrani Basu, Founder Director will provide educational support to the faculty of the school to streamline and strengthen its educational practices. Regular and planned interfaces between the two parties will create a pool of twenty trained special educators to guide fifty-six students with special needs with a teacher-student ratio of 1:3.

The areas of training will include helping teachers understand special children and their needs, customize teaching practices and assessments to empower them to join mainstream learning system without coercion or trauma of any kind. It will also engage with the parents to create awareness as well as help them cope better with the special needs of their child with an enabling and supportive environment at home.

The school will also look to build an environment of trust and sensitivity towards special children by the school community as a whole, by addressing issues of adolescence, bullying and shaming among others with a conscious and informed approach to the needs of both sides. Nothing will give the school more happiness and satisfaction than to help the students with special needs find a niche in the mainstream of education, and finally their rightful place in the world.

National Marketing Conclave at KIIT

Date: September 18, 2019

The 10^th national marketing conclave of KIIT School of Management (KSOM) was held on September 14, 2019. The day-long deliberation was held on the theme-‘Delivering Customer Value Proposition through Marketing Analytics’. In his welcome address Prof. Anil Bajpai, Director, KSOM spoke about how Marketing analytics is fundamentally changing both business and consumer marketing across the customer life cycle. He was of the strong opinion that analytics is going to form the backbone of new-age marketing strategy and is going to result in better cash-flow.

The first panel comprised of Navoch Mohanayak, Strategy Consulting Leader, Frost, and Sullivan;  Pallavi Palkar, National head - Tier 2 business, Bigbasket; Rajni Ranjan, Co-founder, Kraftbuy.com & Siju Narayan, GM - APAC, Loyalty Juggernaut Inc. discussed on ‘Mapping Customer DNA’. The key insight from the discussion was that with a proper understanding of customer DNA, organizations will be able to bring customers to the center of the business equation, leading to greater loyalty and value. Damandeep Singh Soni, Startup Growth Consultant moderated the discussion.

The second panel comprised of Lalatendu Panda, Sr. VP & CMO –Value Format, Reliance Retail; Parthasarathy Vallabhajosyula, Co-founder - Analytics Quotient; Rahul Sarangi, Global Head – Content and Business, The Viral Fever and Vinamra Pandiya, Founder & CEO –Qtrove discussed on ‘Marketing Analytics will replace Marketers with Machine’, and Banoja Acharya, Sr. VP – Nielsen moderated the discussion. The panel agreed that in future we can expect more localized, personalized value offerings setting a globalized context for customer expectations.

The third-panel discussion deliberated by panelists including Chiradeep Samal, Product Manager, Global Marketing Effectiveness - Nielsen; Vikas Lachhwani, Director and Co-Founder – Mcaffeine & Yuvraj Mehta, Head - Corporate Brand Management & Communications - Larsen & Toubro on ‘Is Conventional Marketing getting Disrupted?’ Ramesh Krishnamurthy, CEO and Founder - Delight Foods was the moderator. The panel agreed that though disruptive innovation is inevitable irrespective of industry segment, conventional marketing will always remain relevant.

Achyuta Samanta Confers Honorary Doctorate from NHTU, Taiwan

Date: September 13, 2019

Eminent educationist and philanthropist Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS has been conferred with the prestigious Honorary Doctorate by the National Chin-Yi University of Technology (NCUT), Taiwan on September 12, 2019. At a Special Convocation Ceremony, the President of NCUT, Prof. Wen-Yuan Chen bestowed the award upon Dr. Samanta for his outstanding contributions to the fields of education and social work.

NCUT was founded in Taiwan in 1971 by Chang Ming to cultivate young talents in engineering and management. It is based on the motto of selfless service. Dr. Samanta has expressed heartfelt thanks to the President of NCUT, Prof. Chen and International Department Dean-cum-Professor C. Yan Huang for recognizing his relentless social service and contribution to education for the last thirty years.

Austin Fernando, Sri Lankan High Commissioner visits KISS

Date: August 24, 2019

Kalupage Austin Fernando visited Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and KIIT recently. Education is the key to all development, said Mr. Fernando, H.E. Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India. Addressing students of KISS, he said, "Tribal people are living in a state of deprivation. Only education can eradicate deprivation. So the tribal students should educate themselves to come out of poverty". He advised students to prepare themselves well to face the challenges of the future. 

Appreciating the work of Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, he said, "Through KISS, he has proved that one man can also make a difference. He has proved it through KISS and set an example for others in the globe". Students should learn from Dr. Samanta to give something back to their families, community, society, state, and country. "You should learn from him the qualities of humanity. You should develop yourselves as good human beings. You should not search for your role-model anywhere, because your role model is in front of you. He is none other than Dr. Samanta", he told the students. 

Mr. Fernando, his wife Madam Silviya Fernando and Achini Perera, Counsellor, Sri Lankan High Commission also visited various campus of KIIT and units of KISS. Dr. Achuyta Samanta; Shri R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS; Prof. Harekrushna Satapathy, VC, KISS Deemed to be University; Dr. P. K. Routray, CEO, KISS; Prof. H. K. Mohanty, VC, KIIT Deemed to be University and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

KIIT Polytechnic Celebrates 25^th Foundation Day

Date: August 21, 2019

KIIT Polytechnic celebrated its 25^th Foundation Day with gaiety and grandeur on August 20, 2019. Inaugurating the celebrations, Shri Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority emphasized to focus on seven vital qualities to achieve institutional excellence. These are – Domain, Tools, Methodology, Quality, Innovation, Branding and Governance.

KIIT has become an institution of excellence as it has adopted, practiced and executed these seven things in letter and spirit, Shri Bagchi remarked. “As far as KIIT Polytechnic is concerned, you have to contemplate up to what extent it will reach in the coming 50 years. KIIT Polytechnic can elevate its level at par with the world's best if it practices these seven qualities for which it should be totally committed and determined”, he added.  

Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest, Shri Ragunandan Das, Minister of State (I) for Water Resources, I & PR, Govt. of Odisha said, “We are witnessing today the magnificent institution in form of KIIT that has become an Institution of Eminence. It was established by dint of immense contribution and sacrifice by a small team of dedicated personnel during the nascent period of the institute. We should extol and evoke the glorious sacrifices made by the committed workers in the past. The state and nation expect much more from you (students) on which you should ponder and act accordingly”.

In his welcome address, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, one should never forget one’s past. Even if it is a small help, it should not be forgotten. Pain, adversities, and struggle we faced and help and support by our friends in the past carry priceless relevance and significance, he stated.

Bhimabhoi, Madhusudan, Gopabandhu and Biju Patnaik Research Chairs establishes at KISS

Date: August 14, 2019

The four Research Chairs namely Santha Kabi Bhimabhoi, Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan, Utkalmani Pt. Gopabandhu and Biju Patnaik have come into effect at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Four veteran educationists have been appointed as the Head-Professors of these Research Chairs.

While Prof. Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, Pro-Chancellor, KISS has been appointed as the Head of the all Research Chairs and Biju Patnaik Research Chair Professor, Dr. Jugal Kishore Mishra appointed as the Head of the Madhusudan Das Research Chair, Dr. H. Das as the Head of the Bhimabhoi Research Chair  and Dr. Basanta Kumar Panda as Head of the Gopabandhu Das Research Chair.

Founder of KIIT & KISS Dr. Achyuta Samanta felicitated them on August 13, 2019. The basic objective of the Chairs is to undertake an extensive study of available materials and research for analyzing the socio-economic relevance of their ideology and work in the present context and drawing inspiration for the future course of development of Odisha. In addition to the socio-economic-political aspects, specific emphasis will be laid on the empowerment of the Scheduled Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC) and other marginalized segments of the society for making the development process inclusive and sustainable.

The main activities of the Research Chair will be to –

• conduct in-depth study and original research,
• organize extension lecture programs,
• hold national and international seminars,
• organize photo exhibition,
• collect book materials and photographs,
• prepare a bibliography and
• to facilitate the study of research methodology both in M.Phil and Ph.D. levels.

In the event, R.N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS and Prof. Harekrushna Satapathy, VC, KISS Deemed to be University were present among others.

KIIT University receives Institute of Eminence Tag

Date: August 3, 2019

The Ministry of Human Resource Development Govt. of India has granted ‘Institute of Eminence’ (IoE) Tag to KIIT University. Five top public universities including Delhi University, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, University of Hyderabad and the Benaras Hindu University have got the IoE Tag, while Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT Deemed to be University) is among seven prominent private universities to get IoE Tag. KIIT Deemed to be University is the only Institute in Odisha to get such prestigious Tag. The UGC has recommended all these institutes for IoE Tag this year. Earlier three institutes got this prestigious Tag.

KIIT is just 22 years old as an institution for professional education (started in 1997) and 15 years old as a University. But, despite being a very young university, it has secured an impressive position in various University Rankings. For this Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS has given the credit to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, Minister, HRD and Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha. It is a matter of pride for Odisha to get such prestigious Tag as the only Institute of the state.

KIIT Management School organises 10^th National HR Conclave

Date: August 3, 2019

KIIT School of Management organized its 10th National HR Conclave on August 3, 2019, at its campus. The theme of the event was “Critical Competencies for the Future: Is Change the only Constant?" Inaugurating the conclave, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, HR is very vital for any organization, industry. KIIT & KISS can be considered as shining examples of organisations, which have achieved excellence in managing human resources. The rise of KIIT to be amongst the top 20 Institutions of Eminence in India is a testimony to this. He said in today’s knowledge-driven world, practical experience matters more than bookish knowledge, he added. Giving the context of the conclave Dr. Sanjay Muthal, CEO, Kontempore Leadership Solutions and Services said engagement quotient of employer and employee, increase in global competition and quality competitiveness of people. 

Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty, VC, KIIT Deemed to be University said, in a real-life experience, you can turn to human resources. As the world is changing a lot, so the employees usually loiter between the rural world and the cyber world. Prof. Anil Bajpai, Director, KSOM outlined the genesis of HR Conclave and other activities carried out by SOM at this University for engaging with the Industry. He said that SOM had involved lots of industry stalwarts to share their view, vision, and wisdom, and that brings an opportunity for the students to build their career.

The panel discussion on the topic ‘Critical Competencies for the Future: Is Change the only Constant?’, comprised of Anil Bhasin, President, Havells India Ltd.; Lopamudra Banerjee, Head, Human Resource, Carrier Midea India Private Limited & Deputy Director SE Asia, Midea; Nadeem Kazim, CHRO, TIL “Tractors India limited" and Shailen Merchant, Vice President & Head HR, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Co. Ltd and Anirudddha Khekale, Group Director, HR, Emerson Automation Solutions. The panel felt that in today’s competitive scenario, agility, adaptability, and empathy are critical for future managers. Gaining cross-functional exposure is essential. People will become a crucial competency in the future.

The second panel discussion on the theme “Gearing Organizations for Change: Issues, Challenges and the Path Ahead.” comprised of Reetu Raina, Head of HR, Network Software and Group Head for Talent and Culture at Sterlite Tech; Chander Thapar, CHRO, Hiranandani Group of Companies; Ganesh Subramanian, Vice President, Human Resources, Ola & Amit Das, Director, HR & CHRO, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (Times of India Group) had an excellent debate. The panel concurred that the challenges before organizations today are the rapid pace of change and the increasing demand from stakeholders. In this scenario, the speed of response and building adaptability is the key to dealing with change. The path ahead for organizations is to develop employees by getting them to acquire new skills to compete, excel, and grow.

KISS and KIIT to host World Congress of Anthropology 2023

The Prestigious Meet Comes to India after a Gap of 45 Years

Date: July 23, 2019

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which is the first-ever tribal university of the world, will have the privilege to host the 19th International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) World Congress-2023, informed Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS.

IUAES World Congress is held every five years in different parts of the world. India will be hosting this prestigious meet after a long gap of 45 years, which is a matter of pride for the country in general and Odisha in particular. The event is scheduled from January 15 – 19, 2023. The mega event will be attended by more than 10000 delegates, added Dr. Samanta.

The IUAES World Congress is the largest gathering of academicians and researchers in the fields of Anthropology and Ethnology in the world. In this global meet of the scholars engaged in the scientific study of humankind, KISS and Odisha would be projected in all its beauty and charm, Prof. Samanta stated, elaborating that it would bring Odisha a lot of visibility and the entire state would be a perfect center for Tourism. Several mega-events have come to the state because of constant efforts of KIIT & KISS, he added.

The host organization for the IUAES World Congress is selected through a competitive bidding process. KISS had applied in 2014 also, but on that occasion lost the bid to Brazil. India, represented by KISS, won the bid against Croatia by a considerable margin to host the next World Congress of Anthropology 2023 in collaboration with Utkal University and the Sambalpur University of Odisha and Indian Anthropological Association, Delhi. The voting was held during the congress held in Brazil from July 16 – 20, 2018. More than 5000 delegates had attended the congress.

As KISS is the home for 50,000 indigenous children, it has recognized as the world's largest anthropological laboratory, and work of Dr. Achyuta Samanta was lauded. Prof. Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, VC, Utkal University; Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, VC, Sambalpur University and KISS team presented the plan before the General Assembly to host this mega event in Bhubaneswar, India. KIIT & KISS have been doing exceedingly well in attracting the world attention to these institutions; thus, increasing the prestige of the state.

India hosted the IUAES World Congress only once, way back in 1978, under the leadership of Late Prof. L. P. Vidyarthi in Delhi on the auspices of Indian Anthropological Association, Delhi. Besides the significant Congress, there will be some Pre-Congress and Post-Congress meets in different parts of India. Department of Anthropology, KISS, Department of Anthropology, Sambalpur University, Department of Anthropology, Utkal University and Indian Anthropological Association, Delhi are the partners of the IUAES World Congress 2023.

KIIT Names Athletic Track After Dutee Chand

Date: July 17, 2019

India’s fastest sprinter and student of KIIT Deemed to be University, Dutee Chand was felicitated by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) on July 16, 2019. Felicitating Dutee, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, she has become the pride of the nation, as she brought laurels to India by winning a gold medal in the 100-meter race at 30th Summer Universiade 2019 in Napoli, Italy. She is the first-ever Indian woman to bag a gold medal in the 100-meter race in a World Athletic meet. She clocked 11.32 seconds to achieve this landmark.

During the ceremony, Dr. Samanta declared that an athletics track in KIIT & KISS would be named after her. ‘Dutee Chand Athletic Track’ will be inaugurated soon. Dutee will also lead KIIT Athletic Academy, which will be established in the future. These will be the best gift from KIIT & KISS to Dutee, he said.

Speaking on occasion, Dutee thanked Dr. Samanta and KIIT & KISS and said, KIIT and Dr. Samanta have proved lucky for me. “What I am today, it is only due to the support of KIIT and Dr. Samanta. I am confident that I will bring more laurels to the country as well as Odisha, KIIT & KISS in coming days”, she said.

Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Director, Sports, KIIT Deemed to be University expressed his experience in Napoli. N. Ramesh, Coach of Dutee Chand, Prof. H. K. Mohanty, VC, KIIT Deemed to be University and Prof. Sasmita Samanta, Registrar were also present at the occasion to wish and felicitate Dutee. Earlier, she was given a rousing welcome at Biju Patnaik International airport, Bhubaneswar.

KISS participates in Commonwealth Games 2019

Date: July 11, 2019

Nitya Majhi has been selected in Indian Team in 46 kg Pre-Cadet Boys for the upcoming Commonwealth Judo Championship going to held from September 22 to 30, 2019 in Birmingham, UK. Nitya, a class 10 student of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), was selected in the ongoing trials of Judo Federation of India. The event took place at National Bal Bhawan, Kotla, New Delhi from July 7, 2019. He made it to the Indian team by defeating judokas from Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi. 

He joined KISS in 2010 in standard-1 and was regularly trained in Judo since 2013 by his coach Kandan Murmu. This year, England is hosting the Commonwealth Judo Championship, where 1,000 athletes are expected to compete in various categories such as pre-cadet, cadet, junior, senior, veteran and visually impaired judoka. Nitya hails from a very poor tribal family of Murudimaha village in Tumudibandha Block of Kandhamal district. His father Abraham Majhi and mother Pusali manage their family by farming.

Nitya has won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in State level Judo Competitions and also participated in National level competitions. Expressing happiness over the success of Nitya, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said proper care and training result in success, which has been proved by our students. He congratulated Nitya and wished him success.

IBDP Students Excel in KIIT International School

Date: July 8, 2019

The students of KiiT International School has once again excelled in IBDP examination with the highest score of 40 points awarded to Sweta Moda. The brilliant performance of the students with several others scoring the coveted 7 points (highest score possible in a subject) in individual subjects and the also highest grade of A in the core underlines the excellence in the implementation of IBDP diploma program by all the stakeholders – students, teachers, and parents. Sidhant Suar and Sweta Moda with a perfect grade of A in the Extended Essay justified the core of the diploma program.

The students will join the top universities of the world with this performance to back them. Their scores will ensure that they pursue higher studies in London School of Economics, University College London, University of Toronto, Warwick University, Kings College London, Australian National University, Kansas University and RMIT University in Australia among others. Consistent hard work, exceptional academic integrity and unstinted support from the teachers with the cooperation and faith of the parents helped to ensure excellence in the best global curriculum. As the only school in the state providing a global curriculum, it is indeed reassuring for future IB students and parents, and the institution stands apart as a truly global learning platform.

Expressing his happiness over the success, Dr. Achyuta Samnata, Founder, KIIT & KISS congratulated IBDP students and the entire team. It is a combined effort of the entire team including Coordinator Nandita Mishra, Academic Director, Pradip Dash, Chairperson Dr. Monalisa Bal, and Principal Dr. Sanjay Suar, he added.