33 students from Odisha PVTG join KISS for higher education

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Aug 12, 2014 at 7:34 PM Updated On : Aug 12, 2014 at 7:43 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar. Aug 12:

Thirty three students belonging to the particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) from Bonda hills in Odisha’s Malkangiri district took admission in Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) for higher education.

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The Bonda tribe is one of the most primitive and educationally backward tribes in India.

The Bonda students belong to Khairiput, Bilasanipada, Padeiguda and Mudulipada in the Bondaghati area.

In the first phase, out of 33 students, who have all passed the 10th Board exams, 16 boys and five girls reached the KISS campus today. The remaining students would join them soon. The Bonda students would pursue Plus 2 courses in Arts, Science or Commerce streams.

KISS, the largest free residential tribal institute of the world, granted them admission on the request of the state government, following recommendatiosn of the Malkanagiri district administration.

Today the students met Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaikat his Secretariat chamber. Shri Patnaik congratulated the students and praised KISS for giving them the opportunity for higher education. Expressing his happiness Sanjib Mishra, Secretary SC & ST Welfare Department said KISS is an exemplary institute with its unique identity in the world.

CM presenting dictionaries to Bonda students (pic-Biswaranjan Mishra)

Minister, SC&ST, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Lal Bihari Himrika, Malkanagiri MLA Manas Madkami, and A.B. Ota, Director of SC&ST Welfare Department were also present. The chief minister gifted a dictionary to each student.

Expressing their happiness and gratitude, the students thanked the KISS founder Dr. A. Samanta and the state government for providing them with the opportunity to pursue their higher education in an institution like KISS. They expressed confidence that the institute would provide them the platform to achieve their dreams, as well as help develop their community.

KISS, a brainchild of noted social and educational entrepreneur Dr. A. Samanta, provides free education in a fully residential setting to 22,000 poorest of the poor tribal students. Because of illustrious achievements of its students in academics and sports at national and international levels, the institute has received worldwide acclaim as an effective model of tribal empowerment through education.

Given proper opportunity and grooming, tribal students have been able to perform at par with mainstream students, said Dr. Samanta, while welcoming the Bonda students to KISS.