ENARADA, Bhubaneshwar , August 9, 2013:
KIIT University has gained a lot of momentum within a short span of time solely due to the vision, commitment and hard work of its Founder, Achyuta Samanta, said Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. Sathasivam, Chief Justice of India in his address to the students of KIIT University on August 9, 2013. The university provides excellent facility and has a bright future, he told the students and advised them to utilise the opportunity. The Chief Justice of India was accompanied by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dipak Misra, Judge, Supreme Court of India. Madam Saraswathi Sathasivam and Madam Suprama Misra were also present.
“Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) is indeed a pride of our country; it is much more than a school, it is an agent of social change”, Justice Sathasivam stated, adding that it is recognised as successful model of tribal empowerment through education. Expressing high appreciation for the noble activities of KISS, he said that the institute is giving tribal children an opportunity to dream and realise their dreams. This was the second visit of Justice Sathasivam to KIIT and KISS. He had visited the institutes with former Chief Justice of India, Mr. Altamas Kabir in 2011.
Showered lavish praise on the Founder of the “unique home for 20000 tribal children”, he said that Samanta’s achievements as a social entrepreneur within a brief period reminds him of the wisdom words of Swami Vivekananada – “Let us have faith in ourselves. I see it clear as daylight that we have infinite power in ourselves”. Samanta is the living icon for these words, Justice Sathasivam said.
Stating that education is a process by which character is framed and intellect is built, he reminded students to be as conscious of Fundamental Duties as well as Fundamental Rights. While innate talent is basic requisite, extraordinary hard work is the formula of success, the Chief Justice of India said, quoting the author Malcolm Gladwell.
In his address, Justice Dipak Misra outlined the duties of students of law. Presentableness and presentation are two essential characteristics of a successful lawyer, he told the students, while advising them to make books friends for life. Precision, exactitude and concentrated focus are important for success in legal profession, he said.
Earlier, welcoming the legal luminaries, Samanta said that the occasion will be a red letter day in the history of KIIT. Thousands of students of KIIT University belonging to diverse streams of education, particularly from KIIT School of Law, listened to the distinguished speakers in rapt attention. Prof. N. L. Mitra, Chancellor, KIIT University delivered the presidential address, whlile Prof. P. P. Mathur, Vice Chancellor proposed the vote of thanks. Mr. R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS were also present on the occasion, among others.
SPEECH OF SATHASIVAM, HON’BLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA
I am delighted to be invited to Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) & Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT University). Within a short time span, this institute has gained its momentum solely owing to its vision, commitment and hard work of the founder, members-in-charge and last but not the least the students who are the lifeline of this university.
I have learnt that KIIT has the distinction of becoming the youngest institute ever in the country to be declared a deemed university by Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India and with no element of surprise the university earned a place in the Limca Book of Records. Further, I have been made to understand that KISS was started in 1993 as a part of KIIT University to nurture and educate the tribal children in the State, which is now recognized as a successful model of tribal empowerment all over the world. My appreciation to all the people who are and were the source of support for this institute in one way or other.
I am glad to have been given the opportunity to speak with you this morning. It is always a pleasure to be in the midst of energetic young minds who are the potential of our Country. Being in the presence of youngsters amplifies the vigor in me. And today is more special because am in the midst of youths who, I believe, have the determination to overcome any hurdle that comes in their way.
On this occasion, I wish to render my wholehearted appreciation to Dr. A. Samanta, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) & Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT University) for establishing this unique home for 20,000 tribal children. When I observe the tremendous progression that Dr. A. Samanta has accomplished as a social entrepreneurship within this brief interval, it prompts me the wisdom words of Swami Vivekananada. The scholar said “Let us have faith in ourselves. I see it clear as daylight that we have infinite power in ourselves”. Yes, my dear students, there isn’t a greater power in this world than one’s own will power. Your founder is the living icon for the words of Swami Vivekananada. It is faith that he had in himself even during the worst of times, which gave him the infinite power that guided him in all his ventures. He needed no external drive to conquer success at his ventures but the power from within did the magic. Aptly said by the great humanist Abraham Lincoln, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.” So my beloved students, I urge you to take a vow today that you will improve your will power every day by challenging yourself to accomplish a difficult task since will power and perseverance strengthens only with combating more confronts.
The genesis of KISS traces back to the realization of the fact that poverty is the biggest hurdle in pursuit of education and all round development of a child. It offers unique opportunity for formal and vocational education to thousands of neglected and deprived tribal children from indigenous society living in inaccessible remote corners of the state.
You must all be wondering why education is so vital in once life. There may be some students in this auditorium who believes that they don’t need top grades in exams to excel in life. Some who considers only high grades can help them climb the ladder of success and few others who are neither here or there. This conflict of thoughts is faced by a number of students everywhere. The answer to this dilemma reposes on our understanding of the term ‘education’. According to me, education is a process, by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. It is this pattern of education, which will produce bright young minds who can steer the social and economic front of the country.
Dear students, you are already in a lead position by studying in this prestigious university, which has qualified and committed team of teachers and faculty who not only inculcates knowledge of subjects but also imparts the wisdom of values in every one of you. Further, the college curriculum designed for KISS is unique, for it incorporates vocational training, which links education with productivity, economic development and individual prosperity with formal education, thus making a child educated and self-sufficient. It is specifically designed to impart necessary occupational skills among the tribal students to mould them into successful entrepreneurs and make them fit in the job market. Achievements of KISS students in examinations and other academic events speak volumes about high quality of education at the institute. I look forward to see more students from this college to occupy responsible positions in India and in the International forum and bring more laurels to your institution.
India is a diverse country with its multicultural, multi- ethnic and multi-religious population where the protection of human rights becomes sine qua non for peaceful existence. It is vital for your children to know that every child in India is entitled to the equivalent human rights as every adult in the country. The Constitution of India, besides considering the fragile status, recognized the need for special protection of children. It enumerates numerous rights both in the nature of affirmative rights, which obliges the State to actively undertake welfare schemes and negative rights, which prohibits any form of discrimination. These guaranteed rights lose its significance if a child is unaware of his/her rights. A child needs to be informed about his/her rights under the prevailing laws. Awareness of rights will only give voice to the oppressed. This can be achieved only by propagation of awareness among the children. I take this opportunity to request the founder of this institute to take the required endeavors to generate awareness of rights among all the age groups of children.
As a responsible citizen, it is equally important that we learn our fundamental duties. In a democratic setup, like ours, the rights of one person are the duties of another. Meaning, it is a correlative right, where one’s failure of duty directly infringes upon the right of another person. As a result the knowledge of fundamental duties under Article 51A of the Constitution is as imperative as the fundamental rights cataloged in Part III of our Constitution. Thus, as a responsible citizen, today, take the mission to learn the eleven fundamental duties enumerated in Article 51A of the Constitution, which will not only make you a better person but also helps in making a better society.
I had the privilege of observing at least three generations of clan i.e. my children, my grand children, and myself. I notice a steady change in the attitude of present generation from the past generations. It is the ability to dare and the terrific urge to succeed in whatever they undertake. However, there is a bit of blankness as to what is the formula for success? Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers – The Story of Success published in 2008 raises three vital questions in Chapter II of this remarkable book. They are – Is achievement the result of innate talent? What roles do hard work and preparation play? Does the particular working environment play an important role? The answer Gladwell gives us is truly astonishing and explains to a great extent the secret behind the success of many legends.
My beloved students, innate talent is a basic requisite but extraordinary hard work is an eminent factor in contributing to success. In the words of Mr. Gladwell (the smaller the role innate talent seems to play, the bigger the role preparation seems to play.” So, constant hard work is the formula to success. You might ask me what about luck? It has been said that luck is the intersection of hard work and opportunity. Therefore, everyone in their profession can reach the pinnacle of success if they are ready to put in abundant hard work. You belong to an era/epoch when there is immense optimism about India’s advancement in various fields and there is no doubt that the present generation has outstanding aptitude to take the country forward.
In today’s age, it is important to earn well, but the hunt of material triumph should not act as an impediment in working for societal welfare.
In my concluding words, I wish to express my appreciation to members of KISS. It is indeed a pride for our country when many world organizations including UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and United States Federal Government have come forward to be associated with various programmes of KISS. In my view, KISS is more than a school; it is an agent of social change. It gives tribal population an opportunity to dream and turn it into a reality. I wish all success to KISS & KIIT University for all their prospective endeavors. God bless you young minds!
