There is no plan to join politics, says KIIT & KISS founder Achyuth Samanta

He lost his father at the age of four and has lived a life of struggle. Now, at 50, he is one of the most successful educational entrepreneurs in the country, providing free

education

and healthcare to thousands of underprivileged children. On a recent visit to Kolkata, KIIT & KISS founder Achyuth Samanta shared his vision and more during an interaction with Avik Roy.

You have turned a remote village in

Cuttack

into a world-class educational hub. How did you manage to bring that change?
I have converted one remote village into a smart village. I first created a model village and then over the decade turned it into a smart village powered by solar energy and equipped with Wi-Fi connection. The village has telemedicine facilities in dispensaries and all modern amenities that one can find in a metro.

You have brought an education revolution in Odisha. Where do you get the energy from?
I lost my father at the age of four. From that age I have been struggling. I struggled for food till the age of 25. And for the last 25 years I have been struggling to feed 25,000 poor children. At 50, my life is still a struggle. Bringing poor children from dense forests to a big city and giving them a decent life and education till the age of 25 requires a lot of courage. That is my contribution to society.

Between 1996 and 2017, it has been an eventful and long journey for you. What plans do you have for the days ahead?
I have decided not to expand KIIT University in any part of the country and the state but only focus on enhancement of quality. I want to concentrate my energy on eradication of poverty and hunger with the help of education through Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). I plan to expand KISS across the state and the country.

Despite that millions of children in the state are yet to step inside schools of any form. Do you feel collaborating with the government in spreading education would have helped?
Successive governments and many NGOs have been running many such free schools. But our case is different. It is not just about providing free education to poor children, it is complete transformation of the children in a decent environment. The tribal students at KISS have reached many international milestones, whether it is in the field of sports or innovation and have created inspiring stories for their peers. This model of holistic transformation of life cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

KISS has been selected as the only NGO from India to participate at the UN’s 55th session of the Commission for Social Development for its efforts in eradicating poverty. How do you feel about it?
The message that policymakers around the world are trying to drive home today has long been in practice at our institution. I had thought of it 25 years ago and started KISS. We have been able to provide education to thousands of poor children. We’ve paved the way for others to follow.

Where do you get all funds from? How do you manage to run such a vast institution that provides free education to so many children?
KIIT itself is a self-financed university. It is running with the help of students who enrol themselves here. KISS, on the other hand, is running solely from the donations of benevolent students, teachers and stakeholders of KIIT.

How many centres of KISS do you have in India? How many more do you plan to open?
Apart from Bhubaneswar, KISS has one centre in Delhi’s Najafgarh. We plan to open centres in other parts of Odisha soon. Some corporates have evinced interest in setting up schools in districts like Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Bolangir. I plan to set up KISS in 20 districts in Odisha.

The government of India wants the entire country to go digital. As the head of such a vast institution what kind of a role do you foresee for yourself?
We have already converted the entire KISS digital. The campus is fully Wi-Fi-enabled and is completely cashless, paperless and wire-less.

The Odisha government is putting a lot of emphasis on start-ups. What role do you think KIIT and KISS can play in this?
We are encouraging youngsters to start their own enterprises. Some of our students have developed diesel out of spent oil, low cost LED bulbs, to name a few. We train our young minds at a centre approved by the Department of Science and Technology of the Union government.

Are you providing seed capital or logistical support to young entrepreneurs?
We did provide a loan of Rs 2 crore to around 10 youngsters for their start-ups. We have given them three years to repay after they are successful in their venture. Apart from that we also provide logistical and consultation support to our students.

We don’t pay much attention to research. What kind of investment have you made in the field of research and development?
KIIT University has constructed a campus on over 120,000 sq ft area exclusively for innovation and research almost a year ago.

You were born in the mid-60s in a nondescript village in Odisha. Has the scene changed in last 50 years?
Things have definitely moved towards better. Till the 80s there was no electricity or road network; basic amenities eluded the villages. But now development has touched villages across the state.

Has you model of education for poor made any impact in combating extremism in the state?
I am sure it has. The Maoists target poor and deprived young people. I am giving them an alternative life. If these 25,000 children were not in Bhubaneswar, studying, living a decent life and preparing for a better tomorrow, I shudder to think how many of the boys could have taken up arms out of compulsion. Many could have died of malnutrition and diseases. The impact of KISS in the lives of poor tribals is unimaginable.

Have you ever thought of joining politics and be a part of the active decision-making process?
Till now I haven’t. And, I don’t think I will join politics.

Do you have a role model?
I don’t have a role model. I have got all my inspiration from my mother who has struggled a lot to bring us up.

Do you think turning Bhubaneswar and Rourkela into smart cities will deprive other parts of the state of development?
No. On the contrary, it will inspire them to come up. If Bhubaneswar is to develop 100%, they will then come up to 30%, at least. In the end, the state will develop.