Prestigious Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award has been conferred on Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS on 21st September 2011. Dr. Samanta was selected for the award in ‘Social Bravery’ category. Citation of the award appreciated his valuable contribution in the field of tribal empowerment through Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), where 15,000 tribal students are getting education from KG to PG, vocational training, accommodation, food and all basic amenities of life free of cost, with job guarantee after completion of education.

Instituted by Modi Group, the award is given to individuals who have made significant contribution for the betterment of the society. Eminent persons like Dr. Verghese Kurien and Shri E. Sreedharan have been the past recipients. Similarly, the award was conferred on Sister Sudha Varghese for her relentless efforts spanning over 25 years to improve the plight of the Musahars in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and Dr. Prakash and Mandakini Amte for their exceptional work for the Gonds in Maharashtra. Dr. Jaya Arunachalam received the Social Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Bravery Awards 2010.

Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards aims to instill amongst citizens a culture of selfless conduct. It was instituted in 1990 to acknowledge and reward the unsung heroes of everyday life. Various categories of this award are Physical Bravery Award, Social Bravery Award, Mind of Steel Award and Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Service. Over the years, it has decorated more than 1200 individuals with exceptional achievements. The awards are present over 16 states, including, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Goa and Himachal Pradesh.

Nominations are screened by a panel of eminent personalities from varied fields like administrative services, police, higher judiciary, social work and journalism. The selection process involves thorough checking of cited events, persons and places so as to ensure that awards go to only deserving individuals.