Prof. Achyuta Samanta is a visionary educationist, social worker, and global humanitarian
who
has garnered appreciation and accolades from national and international organisations,
policymakers, thought leaders, academicians, and celebrities across all spectrums.
The surprise
and beauty lie in the fact that this same person had an unimaginably difficult
childhood, losing
his father at the age of four, and being brought up by a widowed mother with seven
siblings in
poverty. He shaped himself to become a self-made individual whose contributions to
society
are unmatched.
He started with just Rs. 5,000 ($100) to establish two modest institutions, the
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and the Kalinga Institute of
Social Sciences
(KISS), in 1992, which have become globally acclaimed wonders of the world.
KISS is the world's
largest fully free and fully residential tribal institution, offering free food,
education,
accommodation, healthcare, vocational training, and sports empowerment to 80,000
indigenous children—40,000 current students and 40,000 alumni. KIIT is one of the
most
promising universities in India offering professional education, spread over 30 lush
green
campuses, welcoming 40,000 students from all over India and over 70 countries. It
has all
national affiliations and global accreditations, achieving top rankings in the
country and
globally. Prof. Samanta has made significant contributions to art, culture,
literature, media,
health, rural development, women empowerment, social campaigns, spiritualism and
sports.
His extraordinary work has earned him unprecedented global recognition—75 Honoris
Causa
doctorates (the highest for any Indian), international fellowships, 2 highest
civilian awards from
foreign nations (Bahrain and Mongolia), over 50 top international awards, and more
than 200
national honors. The City University of New York (CUNY) has established a research
center in his
name—"The Achyuta Samanta India Initiative of The CUNY CREST Institute" in
the USA. Despite
all his achievements, success, and accolades, he leads the simplest of lives as a
bachelor in a
rented apartment with an aim to bring and spread smiles to millions. Prof. Achyuta
Samanta—Founder of KIIT, KISS, KIMS, and the Art of Giving movement and former
Member of
Parliament continues to transform millions of lives, and embodies his guiding
philosophy : My
Life My Message.