More glory & accomplishments to KIIT-KISS

It all started with a humble note. A simple yet noble commitment towards the society to educate those who need it most and hone the others who were in the fences. KIIT and KISS, the twin sprang from the vision of its Founder, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, soon became a path-finder for millions.

Traveling through the past years, the year on the retreat, 2021, became a touch-stone negotiating the undulations like the pandemic which still remains active with the deadly remains like new variants.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) are dynamic educational institutions that have unparalleled yet challenging engagement with the society and commitment for social service.

The year 2021 began with the hope of adjusting to a new normal, but very soon, India braved a big second wave, a devastating one. In such uncertain circumstances, our work went on in full swing - be it academics, social work, innovation in governance, placements and so on. Here are a few highlights from 2021:

Rankings & Recognition

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar has been ranked No. 1 among self-financing institutions of the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), 2021 second time in a row.

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University was ranked 251-300 in the Emerging Economies University rankings by Times Higher Education (THE)

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University has been ranked 30th in the Overall Category among Indian universities by the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021. It has achieved 15th Rank in the General Engineering (overall category) in the country

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University has jumped up 200 positions globally to be placed in the cohort of 801 – 1000 in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2022

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University becomes India's first QS 5 Stars Rated University by being awarded 5 Stars assessing from all the categories of QS criteria

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University was ranked 201-300 in the Impact Rankings - 2021 by Times Higher Education and 86th in 'Reduced Inequalities' globally

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University was ranked 21 among Indian Universities by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Government of India - 2021

♦    KIIT Deemed to be University was acknowledged as the Leadership & Management Team of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards Asia, for its zeal to respond to the unknown & involvement in serving society (expanding free Covid hospitals, distributing masks & sanitiser & community education)

Awards

KISS & KIIT's Art of Giving philanthropic initiative by Founder, Dr. Achyuta Samanta won second position at the prestigious MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship, USA in recognition of its countless humanitarian services rendered in past decades.

Leadership

♦    Renowned physician Dr CBK Mohanty, former Director of Medical Education and Training has joined as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of KIMS.

♦    Professor Sasmita Rani Samanta has been appointed as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University.

♦    Satya S Tripathi, a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), has taken over as the Chancellor of KISS Deemed to be University. Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, an internationally acclaimed anthropologist, has taken charge as the Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Pitabasa Sahoo, has joined as the Pro-Vice Chancellor on deputation. IPS officer Dr Kanhu Charan Mahali of Tamil Nadu cadre, has joined as the Director-General of KISS Deemed to be University after his retirement.

Sports

♦    KISS became the first school in India to integrate Chess in academic curriculum at school level as a non-credit course in collaboration with International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Chess Federation of India

♦    KISS Partnered with FIFA for the primordial initiative in India, FIFA Football for Schools - The first of its kind in the world

♦    KIIT and KISS sent a continent of three sportspersons in different sports to Tokyo Olympics 2020

♦    KIIT was selected as one of two the Nodal Centers in India for the selection of Indian University teams for participation at World University Games 2022

♦    KIIT hosted the 69th Senior National Volleyball Championship 2020-21 organised by Odisha Volleyball Association (OVA) under the patronage of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI)

♦    KIIT University Football (women) team won Silver Medal in the East Zone Inter University Football Championship – 2021 & qualified for All India Inter University Football (Women) Championship – 2021. The tournament was held at KIIT University from December 13 to 15, 2021 and hosted by KISS University

♦    Odisha Rugby Boys Team won Gold Medal & Girls Team won Bronze Medal in "Junior National Rugby Championship-2021" held at KIIT University from December 10 to 12, 2021. Out of 12 players 6 boys players are from KISS & in Girls Section out of 12 players 7 are from KISS

♦    The Bridge, a media platform for Olympic sports content of India has ranked KIIT & KISS at fourth position among the top 10 athletics academies in India. KIIT & KISS are the only academic institutions on this list of professional sports academies

♦    Thousands of delegates from myriad walks of life visit KIIT & KISS to participate in various academic, cultural, and sports meets during the winters every year. This year, over 20,000 sportspersons, coaches, managers, and officials visited KIIT & KISS to participate in sports events only in November and December

Placement

♦    KIIT has achieved record campus placement with 350 plus top-notch companies doling out over 5,000 job offers for a batch size of 3,500 eligible B. Tech students of 2022 graduating batch. This year, 60 new companies have participated in the placement process so far.

♦    KIIT had a super dream run with high-CTC companies this year. While more than 3,000 students got at least single placement offer, top 1,500 students were placed in "Dream Companies" with average CTC of Rs. 8.10 lakh p.a. Thirty-eight companies offered CTC of Rs. 10.00 lakh and above per annum, while over 140 companies offered CTC between Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh. Five students of KIIT have got placement offers with highest CTC of Rs. 52 lakh per annum. The average CTC is Rs. 6.05 lakh, which is 30 per cent higher than previous year. More than 3000 students are already placed, while over 2000 students bagged multiple job offers.

♦    KIIT-DU is the only university in India to proactively create an interface with the leading names in the industry. This is facilitating placement of KIIT students in various national and multinational companies. For instance, HighRadius, a FinTech company, in collaboration with KIIT, has established a FinTech Lab in KIIT Campus wherein more than 2,200 students were offered summer internship. It was followed by one-year experiential learning internship with a stipend of Rs. 15,000 per month to over 1,500 students and pre-placement offers to 830 students with minimum CTC of Rs. 8 lakh till date.

♦    This year, 'Day Zero' dream campus drives alone resulted in the placement of about 1,500 students by MNCs with an average CTC of Rs. 8.10 lakh per annum. 'Day-One' campus recruitment drive generated about 2,000 job offers from four companies.

♦    Keeping up with our past trend, KIIT is well on its way to achieving phenomenal record placement for the 2022 graduating batch despite the COVID pandemic. In 2020, KIIT achieved cent percent placement in B.Tech, MBA, and Biotech, while more than 50 per cent placement in Law. It also achieved record placement in 2021.

Breaking record of previous years - milestones

♦    Keeping up with our past trend, KIIT is on its way to achieve miracle placement for the 2021 graduating batch due to the dedicated efforts of our training and placement department.

♦    KIMS Cardiologist brought new life into a 3 Days old baby through a difficult heart surgery

♦    School of Architecture & Planning, KIIT Deemed to be University has been ranked 4th nationally by Global Human Resource Development Centre (GHRDC), New Delhi

♦    The Indian Institute of Law was set up for the first time in India in the collaboration with Bar Council of India and supported by KIIT

♦    Doctors of KIMS made a landmark achievement by successfully conducting a kidney transplant for the first time on September 19, 2021. A new lease of life was given for a 23-year old patient suffering from End Stage Renal Disease, who underwent the transplant

Ongoing work during the pandemic

♦    KIIT and KISS has adopted more than 100 orphans by providing comprehensive care - financial assistance, assurance of education and job for a family member.

♦    KISS Foundation supported by KIIT University has provided free of cost admission to over 50 children whose parents succumbed to pandemic.

♦    KISS is sending monthly groceries, stationery and essentials to the 30,000 students of KISS who are at home from the beginning of the lockdown.

♦    KIIT and KISS has provided financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh to the families of staff who died due to Covid besides giving job to a family member and sponsoring education of the deceased's ward.

Personal Front

♦    Dr. Achyuta Samanta released his first book, biography on his mother, "My Mother My Hero" launched by Shri Venkiah Naidu, Hon'ble Vice President of India and Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Hon'ble Governor of Odisha

♦    KIIT and KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta was awarded "Sandipani Maharshi Samman 2020" by Sandipani Vidya Niketan, Gujarat by Bhaishri Ramesh Bhai Oza

♦    KIIT and KISS Founder was awarded 3 Honorary Doctorates this year, taking his count of Honorary Doctorates to 47

♦    Dr. Achyuta Samanta, President, Volleyball Federation of India has been nominated to the (Central Asian Volleyball Association) CAVA as Member of Board of Administrations (BOA)

Summing up, we don't want to bask in the glory of the past, but we constantly make endeavor to move to better ourselves. Excellence is another milestone we have been always racing at and that is an endless pursuit the KIIT and KISS live with waking up to new mornings.