Achyuta Samanta

Achyuta Samanta(Odia: ଅଚ୍ୟୁତ ସାମନ୍ତ)(born January 20, 1965) is the founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT); Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which provides free accommodation, food, healthcare, and education from class 1 to post-graduation with vocational training; KIIT International School (KIS), an International Baccalaureate affiliated school, and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a medical college.
He is a promoter of culture and the arts through Kadambini Media Pvt Ltd (KMPL), an organization he founded. He has been the organizer of Nanhi Pari, a Little Miss India competition, since 2000. He has established 25 spiritual centres and shrines, and is in the process of setting up 'Gandhi Gram' in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, a tribal museum to showcase tribal life, art and culture, and a center for yoga and spiritualism.

Samanta was born to Shri Anadi Charan Samanta and Smt. Nilima Rani Samanta in the village of Kalarabanka in Cuttack District of Odisha in 1965. His father died when Samanta was four, and he grew up in abject poverty with his widowed mother and seven siblings.

Samanta received an M.Sc in Chemistry from Utkal University. He had a decade-long experience in teaching in colleges, mostly at Maharshi College under Utkal University, in Bhubaneswar as a chemistry lab assistant.

Achyuta Samanta is the founder, ex chancellor, and secretary of KiiT University; and the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), KIIT International School, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), KIIT School of Management (KSOM), KIIT School of Rural Management (KSRM), KIIT School of Computer Application (KSCA), KIIT School of Biotechnology (KSBT), KIIT Law School (KLS), KIIT School of Languages (KSOL), Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences (KIDS) and Kalinga Polytechnic.

He is a member of University Grants Commission (UGC), Executive Committee Member of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Academic Council Member of Central University of Orissa, Serving Member of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Coir Board of India, National Executive Council Member of Indian Society for Technical Education, and Executive Committee Member of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)

He was also a serving member of international bodies including the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), United States of America; Institute of International Education (IIE), New York City; Association of University of Asia Pacific (AUAP); University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP), Bangkok, Thailand; Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health (APACPH); United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), and Asia Economic Forum (AEF), CIFEJ (Centre International Du Films Pour L'enfance Et La Jeunesse, Dubai).

• Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha – Central University, Tirupati, India − 2011
• Hanseo University, South Korea, 2010
• National University, Cambodia – 2009
• OIU, Colombo – 2002 and 2005 (D.Sc)
• National Formosa University, Taiwan – 2012
• Daffodil International university, Bangladesh – 2014
• International University of Kyrgyzstan − 2014
• The International School of Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – 2014
• Kainar University, Almaty, Kazakhstan − 2014
• Chosun University, South Korea – 2014
• Hangai University, Mongolia – 2014
• Soyol Erdem University, Mongolia – 2014
• Naryn State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2014
• Jalalabad State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2014
• Tabriz University, Iran − 2014
• Jalal-Abat State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2014
• Osh State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2014
• Modern University of Humanities, Moscow – 2014
• Talas State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2015
• Issyk- kul State University, Kyrgyzstan – 2015
• Issyk- kul Co-operative Institute, Korakoll – 2015
• Tajikistan State National University, Dushanbe – 2015
• Daejeon Institute of Health Science, Daejeon, Korea – 2015
• Kyrgyz-Uzbek University – 2015

Samanta received a number of awards, and created new records in the field of social entrepreneurship. He was mentioned among the Top 15 Social Entrepreneurs of the World by the American Edge Foundation. Samanta appears in The Limca Book of Records as the youngest chancellor of any University in India.

• " Best Worker" top Civilian Award of Mongolia − 2015
• Highest Civilian award of the kingdom of Bahrain – Isa Award for Service to Humanity - 2015
• Hall of Fame Award presented by World CSR Congress, New Delhi – 2015
• Successful Entrepreneur Award at Economic Times Entrepreneurship Summit 2015, New Delhi – 2015
• Civilian Award by Jan Mládek, Industry & Trade Minister of Czech Republic, Vladimír Bärtl, Deputy Minister of Industry & Trade Minister of Czech Republic and M. Stašek, Ambassador of Czech Republic to India at Czech Embassy, New Delhi – 2015
• Think India Award by Think Media at Transforming India Conclave 2014, New Delhi – 2014
• Honorary Fellowship Award by Computer Society of India (CSI), Hyderabad, India – 2014
• Visista Puraskar from 24th Annual Awards – 2014
• Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Award, Moscow, Russia – 2014
• Gusi Peace Prize International, Manila, Philippines – 2014
• ‘2013 World of Difference Awards’ by US-based International Alliance for Women (TIAW) – 2014
• Lifetime Achievement in Education Leadership 2013 Presented by Education World 2013
• Kumara Shri 2013 Samman from 'YOUTH', for exemplary work in the field of Education & Social Service – 2013
• The Highest Prize of Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS) – A Sculpture of Honour of the Goddess of Harvest Ops – Prague, Czech Republic – 2013
• Utkalshree Award 2012
• 15th Bhagwan Mahaveer Award
• Honorary Doctorate for Dr. Samanta by National Formosa University, Taiwan – 2012
• Qimpro Platinum Standard 2011 Award for Education – 2012
• Jawaharlal Nehru Award 2012 – 2012
• Dainik Bhaskar India Pride Award 2011 for being a Change Agent in the field of Social Development and Equity – 2011
• D.Litt. Degree (Honoris Causa) from Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (Central University), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh – 2011
• Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award (Social Bravery Award) in recognition of an exceptional Act of Courage – 2011
• ICON of Odisha 2011 by Times of India – 2011
• Rajdhani Gaurav Samman – 2011
• Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Samman – in recognition of Outstanding Services, Achievements and Contributions – 2011
• 'Ruchi Odisha Gaurav Samman' 2011 – 2011
• National Young EDGE Award – Emerging Direction in Global Education (EDGE) for outstanding contribution in Education – 2010
• Asia’s Best Social Entrepreneur Award by the World HRD Congress conferred on 23 July 2010, Singapore – 2010
• Swami Vivekananda National Award by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of Karnataka – 2010
• Gandhi Seva Medal by Gandhi Global Family in recognition of Philanthropic and Charitable works for the Downtrodden – 2009
• Nominated for International WISE Awards, Qatar Foundation, Doha – 2009
• Priya Odiya Samman 2007 (Most Endeared Personality in Odisha) through a survey by a National TV Channel – 2007
• Placed within 15 best Social Entrepreneur of the world by Social Edge, an offshoot of Skoll Foundation – 2007
• Youngest Chancellor of any University in India (Limca Book of Records – 2007) – 2007
• Humanitarian Award from Mahatma Gandhi Remembrance Organization, Johannesburg, South Africa – 2004
• Received Awards from Scotland Colleges for Exemplary Work for the Indigenous People
• First Oriya to receive International Award for Outstanding Social Work by the Indian Embassy, Muscat, Oman
• Received ‘Certificate of Excellence’ in the field of Social Work from the Minister of International Affairs, Government of Cambodia

• The New Indian Express. 12.01.2008 Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder Secretary KIIT & KISS has been placed among the top 15 social entrepreneurs of the world
• "In Transit with Achyuta Samanta – Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 20 July 2009. 

• Universities for Poverty Alleviation, Madrid, Spain, 2015
• Oslo Summit,2015
• Global CEO meet, New York
• UNDP, Jaipur
• Lal Baahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
• IFS Academy, Dehradun, India
• UN Headquarters, New Delhi