In yet another time, the humility of Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been recognized both at National and International forums. His dream for an equitable world through the creation of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has been shortlisted for the coveted ‘India Business Award 2009’ for Corporate Social Responsibility. Dr. Samanta is locking horns with two giants of Indian corporate sector – Tata Steel, the flagship of the Tata Group, and the Hindustan Unilever Ltd – for the Award scheduled to be announced on September 17 in Mumbai at a gala function to be covered live worldwide through CNBC.

While Business India has taken note of Dr. Samanta’s genius and his social concerns, the international community working for the innovations in the field of education has shortlisted Dr. Samanta to be a Laureate for World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2009. WISE, the global event to create a new multi-disciplinary international platform to shape education models in the 21st Century, is being supported by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), U.K, Institute of International Education (IIE), New York and RAND Corporate.

The selection through a rigorous scrutiny of hundreds of entries in three different categories zeroed down to just 16 in the innovation category. Dr. Samanta has been the only Indian to find a berth in the finalists from Africa, Asia and Oceania, Middle East, Europe, North America, South and Latin America. In the toughest competition for the WISE Laureate, Dr. Samanta is pitted against illustrious competitors from USA, UK, Brazil, South Africa and Cameroon.

The International Jury in the innovation category to select two laureates for the WISE-2009 Award comprises of the President of Beijing University, CEO of Richard Rose Federation and the Vice-President of Microsoft, USA.

As the only Indian to be shortlisted for this global award and the only Odia to be shortlisted for the coveted India Business Award-2009 definitely are matters of great importance and pride for the entire state. Dr. Samanta, however, dedicates these unique feats to the blessings of God and the love of the people of Odisha.