Juxtaposition of Two Educational Pioneers

Bhubaneswar (Surjit Kumar Dhal): Two edu-pioneer in Odisha, Prof. Manoj Ranjan Nayak, founder of SOA (ITER) and Dr. Achyuta Samanta flourished for last two decades in their own ways. Apolitical Prof. Nayak has grown more than Samanta, founder of KISS and KIIT. But Prof. Nayak has consistently grown over Samanta due to his persistent endevours. While Nayak strove hard to grow his institutions through fare means, Samanta depended on all possible national and international aids prop of his institutions mainly the engeeneering courses of KIIT and the KISS. The diference is glaring. Prof. Nayak ensured that his institutions always remained above controversy, while Samanta’s institutions are mired by some controversy or the others.

The KIIT- the engineering college is often blamed for charging higher fees and alleged hanky-panky in placements while rival ITER has so far remained away from blemish. The KIIT and KISS have also come under state government scrutiny for alleged grabbing and conversion of forest lands for KISS. Only recently the KISS is under notice of the Government for violation of forest land rules.

Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak, a passionate teacher is the Founder President of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, a Deemed University known more by its acronym SOA, which has grown to be the top ranked university in Odisha. Hailing from a remote village in coastal Odisha, Prof. (Dr.) Nayak did his B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College (presently NIT), Rourkela and M.Tech in Computer Science from IIT, Kharagpur. A brilliant teacher, he joined as a faculty in the College of Engineering and Technology under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar. But his dream was to set up an institution of excellence to impart quality professional education to students of Odisha.

Prof. (Dr.) Nayak, who did his doctorate from the OUAT, soon quit his job to chase his dream by establishing Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) in 1995. The Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), reckoned as one among the finest engineering colleges in the east today, was launched by SOA in 1996. It had a modest beginning with only 118 students joining the college in the first year.

Prof. (Dr.) Nayak subsequently set up several other institutions imparting education in management, hospitality and tourism management, nursing, pharmaceutical sciences, dental sciences and medical sciences. It was on July 17, 2007 that the University Grants Commission (UGC) conferred on SOA the status of a Deemed University under section 3 of the UGC Act.n Three more institutions imparting education in legal studies, agricultural sciences and veterinary sciences & animal husbandry have come up under SOA since then.

Ranked 15th in the country by NIRF in 2023, the university was re-accredited with A++ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2022.
SOA set up the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, SOA’s faculty of medical sciences, in 2007 which has come to be reckoned as one of the most sought after hospitals in Odisha. The 2200-bed teaching hospital has been providing superspecialty facilities while extending affordable treatment to its patients. Prof. (Dr.) Nayak was in the forefront in the battle against Covid as SOA joined hands with the Odisha government to set up five stand-alone Covid Hospitals and two Covid Care Centres in the state to treat Covid patients.
Prof. (Dr.) Nayak also runs a media house which publishes The Prameya, the largest circulated vernacular daily in the state, and runs News7, an Odia television news channel.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta is a figure in the world of social entrepreneurship, education, and humanitarian work. Born in 1965 in the small village of Kalarabanka, Odisha, always looked for government aids by adopting several social works.

He is an M.Sc. in Chemistry from Utkal University, Dr. Samanta began his professional journey as a humble Chemistry lecturer. He founded KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) and KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences), two monumental institutions that have provided world-class education and opportunities to over 30,000 tribal and marginalized children, offering them hope and a platform for a brighter future. His institutions are a beacon of empowerment, making waves on the global stage. He also launched one television news channel named as Kalinga TV. But everything gone in vain only because of his personal aspiration and political activities.

Manoj Nayak is far better than Mr. Samanta in education, hospitality and many other things. Our State will grow with Mr. Nayak for the betterment of Odias.