The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) – Kalahandi Residential School on Friday, 17th June, 2022 at the district head quarters Bhawanipatna. 

The campus of the school is surrounded by lush green plants and trees to give an eco-friendly ambiance to students who will study here and after the installation of Wi-Fi on the whole campus, it has truly emerged as the center of attention at Badli under Bhawanipatna block in the Kalahandi district. In the first phase, the school will have a capacity of approximately 1200 students starting from classes 1 to 12. Similar to the KISS – Bhubaneswar, KISS – Kalahandi is an entirely residential free school. It has been started with the aim of providing the best quality education to improvised and deprived children’ of the tribal community of Kalahandi district. 

In his opening speech, Dr Naveen Patnaik said that “I am very happy to have inaugurated the KISS campus in Kalahandi district. I thank KIIT and KISS Founder Dr Achyuta Samantha. Kalahandi has been transformed into a new education hub.” In addition to this, he also said that “KISS initiative will supplement Government’s efforts to impart quality education in Odisha”.

The honorable CM also emphasized the fact that KISS has been opening schools across the State to offer quality education to improvised and underprivileged children and KISS students are also getting success in different fields. He further added that education is the medium of transformation and one’s life can change through education. The state government has been giving importance to education and through the 5T initiative of the Odisha government, more than 4000 schools have been changed. The contribution of KISS will help and promote more to the state government in giving quality education to all children of the state. 

Few other prominent personalities who attended this inauguration ceremony are Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda, Rajyasabha MP Sujit Kumar, Lanjigarh MLA Pradeep Kumar Dishari, MP Kandhamal and KIIT and KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samantha. 

On this occasion, Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda said that Dr Samanta has been giving his best for the development of tribals through education. Hundreds have established organizations, but a few people can get a chance to serve people through their organizations and all should support Dr Samantha for his noble initiative. During the ceremony, Rajyasabha MP Sujit Kumar also took a few minutes to praise the efforts of Dr Samantha and said that the State government has introduced many schemes for the development of tribals. He focused on instrumental and transformative development, which KISS has already been doing. Students who will pass out from KISS – Kalahandi would bring laurels to the district as well as the state, he said. 

Lanjigarh MLA Pradeep Kumar Dishari said that under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, Kalahandi has now turned into an education hub. The district has improved significantly in the education sector and with the opening of KISS in Kalahandi the education sector will get a big fillip, he added.

Last but not the least, Dr Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT and KISS and MP Kandhamal said that KIIT has built the KISS-Kalahandi campus. It has entailed an investment of INR 50 Crore for the development of land and infrastructure in a 1,20,000 sq. ft. build-up area, and apart from the setting up of a mechanized kitchen, it also consists of a 25-bed hospital, furniture and fixtures and other facilities in 10 acres’ land. At this inauguration ceremony, Dr Achyuta Samanta also declared that on behalf of KIMS, a 200-bed hospital will be opened in Kalahandi.

Two brand new campuses emerged in the Mayurbhanj and Balangir districts of Odisha in 2020 and both of them were also commenced by the honourable Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik. Chief Minister Patnaik also commenced the Balasore branch of KISS, which is known as Emami – KISS recently. Although the two other branches of KISS, which are situated in the Balasore and Kalahandi districts, were completed, they could not be inaugurated due to the Covid Pandemic.