Odisha Educationist Achyuta Samanta Honoured With First PIO Excellence Award

Bhubaneswar: A day before the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas kicks off here, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) honoured KIIT and KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta with the first PIO Excellence Award in recognition of his immense contributions to education and tribal empowerment.

The award was presented during the ‘PIOs Dialogue with India 2025’ session, organised by KIIT-DU on Tuesday.

Themed ‘Empowering Global Connections: The Role of PIOs in Emerging India,’ the programme brought together dignitaries and leaders from around the world.

Shanmugan Mookkan, OSD to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Professor Ajay Kumar Dubey from Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University were also recognised for their contributions.

A proposal was put forward to host an International Cultural Festival for the Indian Diaspora every four years in India. The aim of the festival will be to celebrate the rich heritage and contributions of People of Indian Origin (PIO) globally and strengthen their ties with India.

The GOPIO International Chair at KIIT-DU was launched, an initiative dedicated to promoting research and innovation concerning the Indian diaspora. The chair will facilitate academic studies and document the contributions of PIOs across the globe.

Dr Samanta expressed his gratitude. “It is an honour for KIIT and KISS to host one of the sessions of PIOs. KIIT has grown from 12 students to over 80,000 today, and KISS has become a revolution in the country. I hope our distinguished guests are pleased to witness this progress.”

A Ravendiran Arjunan, Secretary General of GOPIO International, praised KIIT’s remarkable growth: “The KIIT township has grown by leaps and bounds. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas itself was born out of a request by PIOs to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and today, the contributions of PIOs in nation-building must be preserved and documented.”

Dr Ponnusamy Muthayah, president of GOPIO International, traced the origins of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, highlighting how the conference has brought the diaspora closer to India.

Vinay Dussoye, vice-president of GOPIO, emphasised the importance of protecting Indian culture and civilisation, proposing the International Cultural Festival as a step towards reinforcing global connections.