KIIT Founder Achyuta Samanta Conferred Honorary Citizenship By Romanian Town For Education, Social And Humanitarian Service
KIIT founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta has received honorary citizenship from Romania’s Milișăuți for his contributions to education, social development and humanitarian service. He has also received the Key to the City of Bârlad and other international honours.
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta was conferred honorary citizenship of the Romanian town of Milișăuți for his lifelong contributions to education, social development and humanitarian service on September 21, 2026. Honorary citizenship is the highest form of recognition a town in Romania can confer.
An eminent educationist and social reformer, Dr. Samanta is also the founder of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS).
Dr. Samanta also received the Key to the City of Bârlad from the Municipality of Bârlad, becoming the first Odia to receive civic honours from two Romanian municipalities. The Key to the City is traditionally presented to a person who is considered completely trustworthy, reflecting an old European tradition dating back to the days when towns had gates.
“I was deeply touched by the warm welcome I received in Milișăuți, Romania. The love and warmth I received in both cities will always remain close to my heart,” Dr. Samanta said, expressing his gratitude to the people of Romania.
‘Leader of the Year’ at the CEEMAN Champions Awards 2026
At the 34th CEEMAN Champions Awards 2026 in Romania, Dr. Samanta was named ‘Leader of the Year’ for his contributions to education, helping society, humanitarian work and institution building. The award was received by a representative of Dr. Samanta in his absence.
CEEMAN is the International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies and has around 180 members from about 50 countries.
FIDE’s ‘Education Philanthropic Award’
On September 24, Dr. Samanta was awarded the FIDE or International Chess Federation’s ‘Education Philanthropic Award’ at the ‘Summit on Chess in Education’ in Uzbekistan.
Viswanathan Anand, five-time world Chess champion and the Acting President of FIDE, and Ms. Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, presented the award in the presence of representatives from 120 countries. Dr. Samanta’s representative received the award on his behalf.
KIIT and KISS Sign MoU With FIDE
KIIT and KISS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FIDE to expand their Chess in Education initiatives. Dr. Samanta was among the recipients recognised for their contributions to sports and education.
Four Honours at World Congress of Poets
During the 45th World Congress of Poets, being held in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Samanta was conferred four honours:
- ‘Mother Teresa Award’
- ‘Professor Honoris Causa’ from AAB University College, Pristina
- ‘Recognition from the City of Peja’
- ‘Medal of the President of the World Congress of Poets’
About KIIT
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) is based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Founded by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT offers programmes across disciplines including engineering, management, law, medicine, biotechnology and humanities.
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV’s Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department’s social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy. Sahil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
