KIIT shines radiantly in 2023! breaking its own records and leaving new foot prints
Mobilenews24x7 Bureau
In 2023, the annals of history will mark a remarkable chapter for the KIIT group of institutions, a year laden with unprecedented success. Amidst a slew of accolades, KIIT and KISS ascended in global rankings, solidifying their standing on the world stage. This year held profound significance, commemorating the university’s illustrious 25-year journey while embarking on new ventures that underscored its unwavering dedication to societal progress. Welcoming a staggering 2.50 lakh guests for diverse events, KIIT and KISS played host to gatherings of national and international prominence, including the esteemed G20 Youth Summit.
In Parliament, members across political affiliations hailed the model of KISS and the pioneering role of its Founder Dr Achyuta Samanta for promoting education among the poor and tribal across Odisha. During a discussion on the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2023 in Lok Sabha on 7 December 2023, BJD MP MP Chandrashekar Sahu, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury quoted the work of KISS and praised it as a pioneering concept. In his reply, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan acknowledged the example cited by other Members of Parliament, while lauding the KISS model.
The adulation was a testament to KIIT and KISS’ societal commitment towards the society through education-led empowerment. Earlier, during the year, the University hosted a three-month-long colourful silver jubilee celebration, an unmatched commemoration of its illustrious journey over the years. KIIT is counted among the top institutes in India today, piping other established ones in several aspects.
In June, the Education Ministry released the NIRF ranking, adjudging KIIT as the 16th-best University in the country. The prestigious Times Higher Education Ranking placed it as the 6th best in India, featuring it in the 601-800 cohort in the world, once again reflecting its sustained focus on research output and advanced teaching modules.
KIIT-DU once again proved that it is home to some of the best minds in the field of science and technology. Standford University’s database published in October about the ‘World’s Top 2 per cent Scientist’, featured 10 names from KIIT and its constituent units. The 20 names from KIIT include Padma Awardee Dr. Subrat Kumar Acharya; Dr. Yogesh Chawla and Eminent Gastroenterologist Dr. Anil C Anand from the School of Medicine. The other names in the famed list include Suresh Chandra Satapathy, Siddharth Swarup Rautaray, Sushruta Mishra, Tarasankar Pal, Swarup Kumar Nayak, Purna Chandra Mishra, Vikas Hassija, Kshirod K Jena, Hrudaya Kumar Tripathy, Ashok Kumar Sahoo, Dindyal Mandal, Trupti Mayee Behera, Bhargav Appasani, Rabindra K Barik, Mona Pathak, Ashish Singh and Chandan Mohanty.
On the other hand, the KIIT Polytechnic was ranked as the best polytechnic in Odisha for the second time in a row this year among both public and private polytechnics in the state by the Quality Council of India (QCI)’s National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET). The institute is being modelled after the world-famous Nanyang Polytechnic of Singapore.
A crowning moment for KIIT came in April when it was entrusted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs to host the Youth 20 Consultations under the aegis of G20. Lawmakers from across the G20 group of nations attended the meeting. They included former US Congressman Robert Pittenger, Member of Parliament (MP) from UK Virendra Sharma, MP from Ukraine Yulia Klymenko, MP from Switzerland and Global Ambassador of KIIT and KISS Niklaus Samuel Gugger, Foreign Policy Advisor, Bundestag (German Federal Parliament), Germany Andreas Jahn; MP from Germany Andreas Schwarz, MP from Armenia Tsovinar Vardanyan, MP from Poland Krzysztof Gawkowski and Minister of Trade and Industry, Sierra Leone Hindolo Tennison Sandy, MP from Slovakia Jan Szollos, Csc; MP from Ivory Coast Olivier Dje bi Dje, MP from Sierra Leone Honourable Sahr Charles, MP from DRC Nadine Mangabu Luabeya and former MP from Bulgaria Dimitar Tashev.
Four months later in August, KISS-DU organised the World Anthropology Congress (WAC), with speakers emphasising the vital role of KISS in empowering the tribal communities. More than 1200 delegates from different countries including India participated in this Congress.
Big ticket events, as a matter of fact, continued to dominate KIIT’s activity calendar during the year, the foremost of them being the Silver Jubilee Celebrations.
During this period, academic and cultural events were organised including the All India Vice-Chancellors conference, corporate conclave, parents meet, staff conference and a mega blood donation camp, among others. On February 15, the mega blood donation camp was organised where more than 3000 students, faculties and staff of the KIIT family donated blood. The event was the brainchild of Dr Samanta. Blood bank teams from SCB Medical College Hospital, MKCG Medical College Hospital, Capital Hospital, Central Red Cross Blood Bank, Cuttack and blood bank teams from district hospitals of Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Kendrapada and Puri collected blood at the camp.
KIIT, which is one of the largest employers in the private sector in Odisha, continued to generate employment in 2023 as well. In March, the Founder offered employment to more than 100 youths, thereby fulfilling its commitment towards society.
In November, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the KIIT Public School along with the Jayanta Mahapatra Public Library and Shephalee Crèche Centre, facilities catering not only to the requirements of the staff of KIIT and KISS but also to the general public.
The 10th Anniversary celebration of “International Day of Art of Giving (AOG) Day” was observed worldwide on May 17 through various events and activities.The followers, well-wishers and fans of AOG celebrated the Day across 350 locations in 20 countries across six continents. Besides, the followers and well-wishers of AOG commemorated the day in 3500 locations in 29 states, 4 UTIs and 200 cities and towns in India. In Odisha, AOG Day was celebrated at 10,000 locations in 30 districts, 10 major cities and towns, over 300 blocks and more than 5000 Gram Panchayats of Odisha.
Towards the end of the year, the 106th edition of the Indian Economic Association (IEA) Conference was organised by KIIT. It was attended by vice-chancellors and policy makers from across the country including eminent economists and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India Montek Singh Ahluwalia. On this occasion, Dr Samanta was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IEA in recognition of his contribution towards the education sector.
During the year, Dr Samanta was conferred honorary doctorate degrees by universities at home and abroad. The Rural University of Guatemala and the Maya Kaqchikel University there bestowed these prestigious honours upon Dr. Samanta during his two-day visit to the Central American nation in August, marking his 54th and 55th honorary doctorates.
The Solar Energy Society of India (SESI) also honoured Dr Samanta at the Solar World Congress 2023. He was bestowed with the honour for his extensive promotion of green energy through KIIT and KISS.
The KIT Innovative Hub KIT-TBI was decorated with the Incubator of the Year 2023 for outstanding achievements in the field of technology incubation.
During the year, KIIT and KISS also bestowed their coveted honours on prominent personalities at home and abroad. The First Lady Kenya, Rachel Ruto, E.G.H., was awarded the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2022 at an event in KISS in September by the then Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal. The Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and Deputy Speaker in Congress Rufus B. Rodriguez was also conferred the prestigious Degree of
Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by KISS. Honoris Causa was also conferred upon Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The KISS Lifetime Achievement Award was received by a host of distinguished personalities during the year. They included Dr Ahluwalia, Dr Tapan Kumar Sandilya, Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Dr. Sudhakar Panda, former Vice-Chancellor of Birla Global University, Odisha, Prof. A.D.N. Bajpai, Vice-Chancellor of Atal Bihari Vajpayee University and Pro-Chancellor of VELS University Dr A Jothi Murugan.
The 3rd Convocation of KISS was held in November, during which over 350 students were awarded degrees for completing their Masters and Ph.D. programmes. It was attended by Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.
In July, KISS won the 2023 International Green Gown Awards for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sustainability. The prestigious award was presented at a ceremony as a part of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on July 17, 2023. KISS stood out as the sole NGO in India to be shortlisted for this distinguished category.
KIMS Redefined Healthcare Services:
The year also belonged to KIMS Hospital, the constituent unit of KIIT, which set new benchmarks in offering advanced healthcare services in Odisha and outside. It registered the first first hybrid surgery after she complained of severe pain in her chest, back and belly.
The pain management wing of the hospital also carried out a pathbreaking surgery, a first in Odisha, performing a minimally invasive procedure known as ‘balloon microcompression’ on a woman grappling with excruciating facial pain for the last seven years.
It also cured a cancer patient by removing a portion of his affected kidney through advanced laparoscopic surgery without causing any scars or cuts in his body. The procedure is rare in Odisha and the patient was discharged within two days, thereby demonstrating its capabilities in handling critical cases with success.
The hospital has now expanded to 2600 beds, comprising the general hospital, the Super Speciality Hospital and the Cancer Hospital, all equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. During the year, the KIMS continued to organise several high-profile conferences, seminars and CMEs. Of particular interest was a cadaveric workshop on Arthroscopic Surgery that is revolutionising joint-related treatments, a common among athletes. The workshop assumed significance in light of Odisha’s fast emerging as a sporting hub.
In August, KIMS added a new people-friendly service, kick-starting an Evening Clinic at its Super Speciality Hospital and Cancer Centre. It comes as a significant service for office-goers who seek to consult the best doctors after office hours. The Evening Clinic is functioning every Monday to Friday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Throughout the year, KIMS organised mega health camps in rural areas across Odisha, bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of the masses, some of them attended by the Founder, as part of its outreach activities. In one such camp in Jajpur District, the Founder was moved to look into the plight of a 14-year-old girl suffering from an eye ailment and supported her treatment at KIMS Bhubaneswar.
A golden moment for KIIT in track and field:
This year marked a historic milestone in Indian sports for KIIT and KISS. Across the year, these institutions hosted a multitude of regional, national, and international sports events. Over 150,000 athletes, coaches, and officials graced KIIT and KISS, participating in these competitions at various times.
KIIT and KISS were witness to a historic moment in February when
The Odisha CM inaugurated the newly built stadiums and sports facilities on the sprawling KIIT campuses. campuses. The venues have been named after the sporting legends. The inauguration included the Biju Patnaik Multipurpose Indoor Stadium worth 500 crores, the Dilip Tirkey Hockey Stadium, Abhinav Bindra Indoor Shooting Range, Rahul Bose Rugby Stadium among others.
KISS also successfully organised the first Tribal Sports Festival. The event was inaugurated in KISS, drawing over 5,000 tribal athletes, coaches, and officials from 26 states across the country to Bhubaneswar for the very first time. KIIT, on the other hand, hosted the prestigious 14th KIIT International Chess Festival, attracting 1,200 players, including Grandmasters (GMs) and International Masters (IMs) from 20 countries, including India. A total prize pool of Rs 32 lakh was distributed during the festival. In February, the KIIT-Alexander Tennis Academy was unveiled at the University, a collaborative venture with former German Grand Slam tennis player and the founder of the Alexander Waske Tennis University and Altevoll Tennis Academy in Ahmedabad. This academy trains boys and girls from outside, other than KIIT and KISS.
In January, KIIT and KISS signed an MoU with the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to promote rugby at grassroots and high-performance levels. As per the MoU, KIIT-KISS will be the associate sponsor of Rugby India for the next three years while the state government remains the main sponsor. With this, KIIT-KISS has become the only university in India to be the associate sponsor of Rugby India.
KIIT athletes have brought immense pride to Odisha and India, securing medals at both the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and the 31st World University Games in Chengdu. Recognizing their achievements, they’ve received well-deserved promotions within KIIT and KISS.
Moreover, KIIT and KISS hosted the National University Swimming, Yoga, Rugby, Volleyball, and Athletics Championships in December under the patronage of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Additionally, international conferences on sports, yoga, physical education, and the 15th tribal youth exchange program were organized, attracting over 15 thousand athletes, coaches, and officials from various universities across the country.
KIIT also bagged the Best Sports Facility award in the first edition of the CII Sports Business Award 2023. Dr Samanta received the award from Chanakya Chaudhry, chairman of the CII National Committee on Sports.
