Graduation is not the end; it is just the beginning. Convocation is the reflection of a journey from the achievements of the past to goals to be achieved in future. The 13th Convocation of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University on November 11 is a big day for it as it has grown exponentially in 12 years, for the students and the staffs as the event shall mark the beginning of a new journey.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development granted Deemed University status to the KIIT in 2004 in recognition of the high-quality academic ambience of each of the constituent institutes of this emerging educational hub. With this, the KIIT became the first self-financed professional university in Odisha, the youngest educational hub to become a university as chronicled in the limca Book of Records.
From 1997 to 2017, in a short period of 20 years, the KIIT has come a long way and chartered development of at least 100 years. It has been creating milestones and there has been no looking back. It has created a tradition of success and legacy of goodness.
The institution was started in a rented building with two staffs and 12 students in 1992. Today, the university, comprising 28 schools, stands majestically on an area spread of over 25 square kilometers with aesthetically-laid out 23 independent but contiguous campuses offering graduate, post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes in all popular branches of Engineering, Computer Applications, Business Management, Rural Management, law, Medicine, Nursing, Dental Sciences, Public Health, Mass Communications, Fashion, Films, Sculpture, Sports, and Spiritual Education.
In the last 13 years, the KIIT has carved a niche for itself both in academics and researches. The accreditation of NBA of AICTE and NAAC of the UGC and the Ministry of HRD’s notification granting ‘A’ Category, besides a berth in the Washington Accord speak for the quality of education provided at the KIIT. It recently got the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK Accreditation for its School of Technology. These accreditations make it easy for the students to get jobs abroad and its par with degree from any international university.
As many as 27,000 students from all over India and 35 countries study here with 95% of the students from outside Odisha.
With state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure progressively developed over the years, the KIIT has become the most sought-after destination for many academic and related national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, conventions, sporting events, etc., which even include mega-conferences like Indian Science Congress, International Sociology Conference, Indian Economic Congress and International law Conference.
The KIIT takes the pride in sending the first-ever woman participant from any university to be in the 100-meter running event at the Olympics. Dutee Chand, a KIIT student, represented India in the Rio Olympics-2016. Amiya Mallick, an ace sprinter, is one of the best sprinters in India today. The KIIT has huge sports infrastructure and a home to many sporting events. The academic achievements are exemplary. This year, three alumni cleared the Indian Civil Services Examination securing ranks 9, 91 and 646, respectively. A student has cleared Indian Engineering Examination with rank 2.
It is the only university in the world to have 30 Nobel laureates visiting its campus and addressing the students. Hundreds of collaborations made with universities far and wide across the globe has been facilitating student and faculty exchanges, research collaborations and membership in international associations for cooperation in raising standards of education around the globe and global visibility with an aim to make the KIIT a globally-acclaimed centre of excellence in education. It is the only university in the world to integrate formal education with social work. Its humane face is best illustrated through its protégé Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which provides food, accommodation, healthcare and education from Kindergarten to Post-Graduation to 27,000 poorest of the poor underprivileged tribal children absolutely free. The KISS, as a unique experiment to eradicate poverty and empower the underprivileged section of people through education, has been recognised all over the world. The KIIT’s stakeholders support the KISS, which is the world’s first exclusive tribal university.
The KIIT has converted the remote village 'Kalarabanka' in Cuttack, Odisha into a model village in 2006 and then consequently to a Smart Village in 2016 and the entire Manpur panchayat into a model panchayat with all city amenities like schools, colleges, health centres, banks, police outpost and so on. It is a fully Wi-Fi and solar village.
There has been peripheral development of a full-fledged township around KIIT and KISS. It has created indirect employment of 1 lakh. There has been the growth of the city towards this side because of KIIT and KISS. It has become the most vibrant part of the Smart City of Bhubaneswar.
Thus, the greatest lesson learnt from the KIIT’s journey is that of humanity, compassion and innovation. It success from nothingness to prominence is an example of nothing is impossible.
On the occasion of the KIIT’s 13th Convocation, we express our sincerest thanks to our well-wishers, students, parents and staffs and everyone who has been instrumental in making the KIIT what it is today.
(Prof Samanta is Founder, KIIT and KISS)