ACHYUTA SAMANTA

 A Legendary Life with a Divine Mission

          -by N.C.Mohandoss  &  Dr.Devipriya

Proving everybody wrong once again that one needs to be opulent in order to be able to help others, the prolific social architect Achyuta Samanta’s life affirms that one needs a good heart only to help others. If one is sincere, dedicated, makes sacrifices and stays committed one would overcome any obstacle in life to achieve impossible goals. Achyuta Samanta, who has neither any self-interest nor any personal agenda, has made his mark in leveraging education for poverty eradication, elimination of social alienation, rural development (Smart Village Development), socio-economic transformation, and world peace. The story of Achyuta Samanta is also a tale of overcoming heart-rending struggles in rising from the abyss of poverty to becoming a social architect and a messiah for millions of people. He chose the path of self-sacrifice and social service early in life and embarked in 1992 on a social development strategy that has been vindicated today, two and half decades later, by global leaders’ strategy for global development- the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Achyuta Samanta was born in an economically struggling family and lost his father at the age of four which plunged the whole family into poverty and starvation. Enduring profound grief of seven young siblings and a widowed mother as together they struggled for survival, the child Achyuta helped his widow mother while she worked as a menial worker, collected garden litter, pounded parboiled rice and did other menial jobs, did errands for the fellow villagers, tilled lands and grew vegetables and sold them in faraway markets but took every opportunity to educate him that transformed his life later. His story is nothing less than log-cabin-to-the-white housesaga of Abraham Lincoln.

Inspired by his life’s struggle for survival that led to his realization- “Poverty creates illiteracy and literacy eradicates poverty”, Achyuta Samanta committed to live a life of self-sacrifice and to act as the medium to eradicate the ills faced by the deprived children using education as the vehicle of social transformation. Achyuta Samanta, after a brief stint as an academic following completion of his Masters in Chemistry (1987), started in a very modest scale the two institutions: KIIT and KISS with a paltry sum of 100USD which he had saved penny by penny for the purpose.

KIIT, starting initially in a rented building, now stands over 400 acres with 13 million sq. ft. of aesthetically built up area. It has become the most promising university in India with “A” category status granted by the Ministry of Human Resources, Government of India. With visibility that has spread across the globe, the university today enjoys the trust of over 27000 scholars from around the world. KIIT today has also created indirect and subsidiary employment opportunities for a million of people besides direct employment to ten thousand people apart from supporting the philanthropic initiative, KISS.

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) was started as a protégé of KIIT in 1992-93. KISS with over 25000 students today has become the world’s largest residential institute for the indigenous (Scheduled Tribe) children providing free education from Kindergarten to post-graduation along with livelihood sustaining vocational and life skills, with free lodging, boarding, comprehensive healthcare, and all other amenities that has been facilitating their wholesome growth and complete transformation from social liabilities to social assets, thereby fulfilling SDGs in letter and spirit. KISS has been kindling peace and progressive spirit in the tribal hinterland of Odisha beleaguered by Naxalite insurgence. KISS has created two Guinness World Records recently. Earlier KIIT and KISS have attained 4 Limca Book Records.

KISS, which has been recently granted “Special Consultative Status” by the United Nations, is being replicated elsewhere in collaboration with various governments and Corporate. A clone of KISS, KISS-Delhi, established in collaboration with the Government of Delhi, has been operating successfully. Achyuta Samanta’s “New Mind New Dream” aims at establishing one KISS clone each in 20 districts of Odisha and other state capitals of India. A branch of KISS has been operating successfully in New Delhi.

Achyuta Samanta’s vision encompasses rural development. With single hand initiative he transformed his native village Kalarabanka, whichbecame a Model Village in 2005. The village has all city amenities: Schools (Primary to High School in regional and English medium), library, post-office, banking facilities, hospital, telephone booth with internet facility, community spiritual centres, self-help groups, police outpost, all weather road connectivity, street-lighting, etc. Development of this village has also triggered developments of the entire cluster of neighboring villages and this cluster of villages- Manapur Panchayat is well on its way to be a Smart Panchayat.

Achyuta Samanta has also been promoting growth of arts, culture, literature, films and media, and spiritualism in his bid to bring about a holistic change in the human society. A good heart indeed touches every sphere of human living.

50-year old Achyuta Samanta, an icon of simplicity, modesty and transparency, absorbed in his profound epiphany- Art of Giving and Art of Appreciation, and campaigns like India against Negativity and KOMPASSIONS, has been relentlessly spreading the message of peace and universal brotherhood.

Undaunted by 45 years of struggle-full life, Achyuta Samanta, who has been widely decorated world-wide with coveted awards and Honorary Degrees, remains a classic saga of “Domestic help boy next door to a Gusi Laureate”, and continues his legendary messianic march for a world sans hunger and deprivation with indomitable effort, incessant hard work, unlimited patience and endowed with abundant divine blessings.

His Achievements:

Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Ph.D.

Professor in Chemistry

Gusi Laureate - 2014

Founder:

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT University)

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS)

KISS Foundation, India

KISS Foundation, UK

KISS Foundation, USA

A visionary social architect who embarked in 1992 on a social development mission using education as the strategic medium to eradicate poverty and alienation from the surface of the earth, a goal envisaged today by global leaders that goes as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

He is the Founder of KIIT University - A multi-disciplinary university with a current student strength of 27,000; Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS)- world's largest fully-free residential KG-to-PG institute for 25,000 poorest-of-the-poor indigenous aborigine (Scheduled Tribe) children, an institute with “Special Consultative Status” with the UN; Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences - a medical college with 2000 bedded hospital and other allied institutes like Dental  and Nursing Colleges; KIIT International School (with International Baccalaureate affiliation); Kadambini Media Pvt Limited (promoting art, literature, and culture), publisher of 'Kadambini' - a popular literary family magazine in Odia since 2000, 'Kunikatha' - a magazine for children since 2006, and maker of several award winning movies; Kalinga TV Pvt. Ltd- 24x7 News Channel; and the promoter of 'NANHI PARI', one-of-its-kinds-in-the-world Little Miss India Competition.

As a social reformer he has been propagating ART OF GIVING (a philosophy of life), a concept aimed at bringing peace to human minds around the globe; ART OF APPRECIATION - spreading the message of the Art of Appreciation; and INDIA AGAINST NEGATIVITY to annihilate negativity in human minds.

MEMBER IN NATIONAL BODIES:

Achyuta Samanta has served as member of 15 Government of India Bodies, as the Commission Member (2008-2014) of University Grants Commission (UGC), AICTE, NCTE, etc; and, as member of six international bodies of high importance including CIFEJ in Dubai.

He has been elected as General President (2017-18) of the 105^th Indian Science Congress. He is the youngest ever General President of ISCA.

RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION   

Isa Award-2015 for Service to Humanity (with one million USD as Prize Money); the highest civilian award of the Kingdom of Bahrain; the highest civilian award of Mongolia-2015; GUSI PEACE PRIZE INTERNATIONAL (popularly known as the Nobel Peace Prize of Asia)- 2014; President's Gold Medal, CIS International Association of Knowledge, Moscow; High Civilian Award of Czech Republic; 'Hall of Fame' Award from World CSR Congress; and the Economic Times Award for being in the top 50 successful entrepreneurs in India, 2015 besides 50 other national and 200 state level awards.

He has also received 31 Degrees of Doctorate/Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) from different Universities in India and abroad, besides 4 national & international fellowships (ISTE, CSI, ICA, APACPH).

Besides 2 Guinness World Records for KISS, there are 4 Limca Book of Records including one scripted in his name as the Youngest Chancellor of any University in India.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Poverty alleviation; Spread of quality education (school, higher and professional), Social Reforms, Removal of Illiteracy, and other enterprises impacting socio-cultural and economic situation of the state and the country; creating change agents for the indigenous aborigine community, developing quality sports persons, etc. A KISS boy has been selected to represent India in the 2016 & 2020 Olympic Games in archery.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Prof. Samanta’s innovative strategy and dedication has led to the development of his native village, Kalarabanka, into a SMART VILLAGE in 2005 and the entire cluster of villages (Panchayat) of which Kalarabanka is a part is well on its way to becoming a SMART PANCHAYAT.

SOCIAL ARENA: He is empowering about 2 Million people through education and skill development in collaboration with a number of organizations like UNFPA, etc. Currently he is working for establishment of 20 branches of KISS covering 20 districts of Odisha and another 20 branches across the country besides 2 branches abroad under his "NEW MIND NEW DREAM" programme, a vision for empowering socio-economic uplift. A Gandhi Gram, a tribal museum and the longest heritage corridor are under way.

 

He has dedicated his life for selfless service for humanitarian cause and has remained a bachelor.  

 

Contact Details:       

KIIT, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha (India)

Mob: +91 9937020928 / 9437000928

E-mail: achyuta@kiit.ac.in

Websites: www.achyutasamanta.com

      KIIT  :  www.kiit.ac.in

      KISS :  www.kiss.ac.in

      AOG  : www.artofgiving.in.net

IAN   : www.ian

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