KIIT & KISS reach the unreached

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated the normal life and livelihood of people all over the world. In difficult times like these, many organisations and individuals have come forward to supplement the Government's efforts to deal with the emergent situation.

Odisha too has been hit hard by the pandemic, and to restore the normal functioning of the state, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), under the leadership of its Founder Professor Achyuta Samanta, have taken a series of initiatives right from the outbreak of the disease.

Some humanitarian actions of KIIT and KISS stand out as they have significantly bolstered the health care infrastructure of the state, greatly reduced the sufferings of people and touched the lives of the most marginalised and overlooked sections.

In one of the most significant measures, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a constituent of KIIT Deemed to be University, set up four ultramodern dedicated COVID hospitals with the support of the government of Odisha, located in Bhubaneswar and three tribal-dominated districts of Odisha. The hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 1200. KIMS COVID Hospital in Bhubaneswar, a 500-bedded state-of-the-art facility including 50 critical care beds, is India's first standalone COVID hospital. The pandemic has also caused a grave humanitarian crisis due to prolonged lockdowns. Millions have lost their jobs as a result. In a mammoth community service response, KIIT and KISS reached out to various groups facing hardships due to the extended lockdown. The intervention included the distribution of food materials and other essentials to over 3 lakh pandemic-hit people, including the ones living in various slums and containment zones as well as the stranded migrant labourers.

Community outreach activities of KIIT and KISS strived to reach the hardest-hit and commonly overlooked people – transgenders, sportspersons, physically challenged, sex workers, etc. They were provided with allowances to cope with the prolonged lockdown. Food materials and cash to meet other expenses for three months were given to priests and other workers of several spiritual centres in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and nearby towns. The two institutions are providing groceries and cash for miscellaneous expenses to over 40 orphanages, old age homes and leprosy centres in Kandhamal district.

The student community is one of the worst affected groups in the COVID-19 pandemic. KISS is home to 30,000 tribal students from interior districts of Odisha pursuing their studies from Standard-I to PG/Ph.D. level. Days before the outbreak of the pandemic, they were sent to their respective homes in various districts of Odisha. As the students are in their respective homes, KISS has been sending study materials, dress and a generous amount of dry foods at the doorsteps every month since April. KISS was one of the early institutes to begin online classes and has been maintaining the academic schedule perfectly for students of all levels.

Inspired by the Prime Minister's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-reliant India), KISS has revved up its vocational skill centre during the pandemic. The centre has been scaled up to become a medium-size industry and is now making 25 different types of vocational products. These products are marketed through a well-developed distribution channel, besides fulfilling the in-house requirements of KIIT and KISS. The sale proceeds from the centre are expected to make KISS self-reliant in the coming years. In a unique humanitarian gesture, KIIT Deemed to be University has decided to provide free education to the children of the COVID deceased in Odisha. The facility will be available for two academic years i.e 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The first six months of the ongoing pandemic has made many children orphans. Such children, particularly those belonging to the poorer sections, are suffering an untold tragedy. They are vulnerable to become victims of child abuse and human trafficking. KIIT and KISS have adopted them and are taking care of about 100 such orphans and providing them monthly allowance ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 10000, depending upon the family size. As and when the academic institutions reopen, they will be provided with free education and subsequently complete higher education in KIIT and KISS.

Support to orphans and children of the COVID-deceased has been possible due to its Founder, Professor Achyuta Samanta's personal childhood experience of hunger and poverty that he had to suffer after he lost his father at the tender age of four. He has always been striving to ensure that no child is deprived of quality education because of the untimely death of parents or poverty.