HPM was conferred the prestigious KIIT Honorary Doctorate Award and the KISS Humanitarian Award 2012

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology(KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Orissa, India will confer the prestigious KIIT Honorary Doctorate Award and the KISS Humanitarian Award 2012 upon Hon’ble Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley this year.

The founder of KITT and KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, called on the Hon’ble Prime Minister yesterday (July 26) to personally extend an invitation to grace the institutes’ convocation ceremony in Orissa in September as the chief guest during which the two awards would be officially conferred on Hon’ble Lyonchhen.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta, a noted social and educational entrepreneur, arrived in the country yesterday.

Lyonchhen said that it is an honour and that he will make a visit to the institutes on the sidelines of the 115th Annual General Assembly of the Mahabodhi Society, which will also be held in Orissa in September. This is the last year of Lyonchhen’s tenure as the President of the Mahabodhi Society. He commended Dr Samanta for his contributions and dedication to social work and for being a great source of inspiration.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta established KIIT in 1992, with a funding of only USD 100. KIIT was started as an industrial training institute which functioned in a rented premises with only 12 students and 2 faculties. Today, It has 800 faculty, scientists and researchers, 2,500 management support staff and 16,000 students pursuing undergraduate and post graduate studies in Engineering, MCA, Management, Rural Management, Law, Bio-technology, MBBS, BDS, Nursing, Fashion Technology, Cinema & Media studies and Language. The institute has 20 Bhutanese students pursuing professional courses.

KISS was established in 1993 with 125 children. Today, it is the largest residential institute, from kindergarten to post-graduation, for tribal children with the provision of free accommodation, food, healthcare and all other basic amenities of life along with a job after completion of education. The institute aims to provide sustainable livelihood and scope for all-round development for poor tribal sections of the society. Today, KISS has 16,500 students enrolled from 62 tribes of Orissa including 13 primitive tribes and students from adjoining States.

Dr Samantha said that the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award, instituted four years ago, is given annually to people with exceptionally high contribution to the society in various fields relating to social issues.