Dr. Achyuta Samanta Conferred ISTE Lifetime Achievement Award

By Swagatika Das

Bhubaneswar, June 22 : The 53rd session of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE), the premier body of technical education in the country, commenced today at KIIT-DU here with the conferral of the Lifetime Achievement Award to the Founder of KIIT and KISS Dr. Achyuta Samanta.

The conclave is being hosted by the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and supported by KIIT-DU. The ISTE honorary fellowship was given away on the occasion to the Director of IIT Delhi Rangan Banerjee; Regional Director of VTU Prof Baswaraj Gadgay; Adviser to AICTE Rajendra Baliram Kakde; Senior Advisor to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority Dr Anil Kumar and Maj. Gen (Retd) Maj Mahesh Kumar Hada.

The ISTE Best Technical University Award was given to the VC of Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. The ISTE National Award for Best Administrator went to VC of KIIT-DU Prof Saranjit Singh and the ISTE Best Clean and Green Campus Award also went to KIIT-DU.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Samanta reminisced about the long-standing relationship between KIIT, KISS, and ISTE, which spans over 24 years. Reflecting on the journey, he recalled how KIIT and KISS, established in 1997 and granted deemed university status in 2004, had hosted the ISTE convention in 2001 when KIIT was merely four years old. “When we approached the then president of ISTE, everybody was surprised. With much reluctance, they gave me the opportunity,” Dr. Samanta shared. He emphasized how that convention transformed the nature of ISTE conventions, marking KIIT and KISS as significant contributors to the technical education landscape.

This year’s convention, themed “Viksit Bharat 2047: Alignment with Higher Education Institutions,” aims to align higher education with the vision of a developed India by 2047. Dr. Samanta expressed optimism about the growth and development of the Indian education system, highlighting that numerous institutions in India are now achieving world rankings. He underscored the importance of the National Education Policy (NEP), asserting that its proper implementation would be instrumental in realizing the dream of a Viksit Bharat.

Dr. Pratapsinh Kakasaheb Desai, President of ISTE, lauded KIIT’s phenomenal growth, describing it as nothing short of miraculous. He acknowledged the strong association between ISTE and KIIT and KISS, noting that this is the fourth time they have hosted the ISTE convention. He praised KIIT’s growth as a model for other organizations and highlighted ISTE’s role as the largest organization in technical education, with over 1.30 lakh engineering and polytechnic faculty members as life members.

The session also featured insights from other notable speakers, including the Vice Chancellor of KIIT Prof Saranjit Singh, who stressed the significance of the past 25 years in shaping the vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized the need for strategic development plans over the next 25 years to achieve this vision.

Executive Secretary of ISTE S M Ali, office bearers and members from across the country are attending the conclave.