Parliamentarians for Indigenous Peoples’ Empowerment (PIPE)

SAWC 2022 | Partners

Organisers

US Consul General Hyderabad

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Under the leadership of the Consul General, the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad promotes U.S. interests and the U.S.-India bilateral relationship in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The Consulate does so through diplomatic and cultural relations with government officials, the business community, and the general public. The U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad also provides an array of services to U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Hyderabad’s consular district, and visa services to persons seeking to travel to the United States for official, tourism, business or educational purposes. Established in 2009, the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad is the first U.S. diplomatic office to open in India since India’s independence. It is but one reflection of the United States’ commitment to strengthening its relationship and engagement with the people and Government of India.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT)

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, known by its acronym KIIT, is one of the leading universities in India renowned for the quality of teaching and research. It was founded in 1992-93 in a rented house with 12 students and two teachers as an Industrial Training Institute in Bhubaneswar. With its base year in 1997 with just three programmes – Engineering, MBA & MCA, KIIT’s commitment to excellence led to the grant of Deemed to be University status under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956 by the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India in 2004. KIIT has been recognised as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Government of India. It has been ranked No. 1 among self-financing institutions of the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), 2020 of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It has been ranked 30th among Indian universities (overall) by the London based Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021 and 15th Rank in the General Engineering in the country, retaining its position among top institutions in India. KIIT Deemed to be University is spread over 25 sq.kms with world class infrastructure and top-notch facilities in its 25 lush green campuses. It has a wide base of 30,000 students from all over India and 64 countries across the globe.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, known by its acronym KIIT, is one of the leading universities in India renowned for the quality of teaching and research. It was founded in 1992-93 in a rented house with 12 students and two teachers as an Industrial Training Institute in Bhubaneswar. It was in this period when India was moving slowly towards globalisation, and private education was unpopular. However, Prof. Achyuta Samanta envisioned an educational institution that would focus on academic expertise and provide a wealth of opportunities for students to gain holistic knowledge – all this with barely any financial backing. It is solely due to the dedication, devotion and grit of our Founder and contribution from the hardworking staff and well-wishers, that KIIT Deemed to be University has become one of the premier educational hubs in India. 

With its base year in 1997 with just three programmes – Engineering, MBA & MCA, KIIT’s commitment to excellence led to the grant of Deemed to be University status under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956 by the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India in 2004. KIIT has the distinction of being the youngest institute of the country to get a University status in six years. This unique achievement gave it a place in the Limca book of Records. It is indeed incredible to state that in a short time span of time, KIIT has achieved incredible feats in ranking amongst the top colleges in this country. 

KIIT has been recognised as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Government of India. It has been ranked No. 1 among self-financing institutions of the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), 2020 of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It has been ranked 30th among Indian universities (overall) by the London based Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021 and 15th Rank in the General Engineering in the country, retaining its position among top institutions in India. KIIT is among a handful of Indian universities to enter the Asia University Rankings 2021 of Times Higher Education ranking and the only Deemed to be University from Odisha to make it to the list. It is pertinent to mention that KIIT was ranked at 251-300 in the THE World University Rankings- 2021. It is the first Indian University to achieve “Five Stars Background Note on KIIT Deemed to be University Rating” from the prestigious QS Star Ranking System. More significantly, KIIT has acquired an impressive rank in the band 201-300 in the overall impact ranking by THE Impact Rankings for its impact and efforts at sustainable development – Education, Alleviation of Poverty, Accelerating Peace, Gender Equity and fostering partnerships. It has also won The Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2020 for ‘Workplace of the Year’. 

KIIT Deemed to be University is spread over 25 sq.kms with world class infrastructure and top-notch facilities in its 25 lush green campuses. It has a wide base of 30,000 students from all over India and 64 countries across the globe. Over 60,000 students have graduated from KIIT and have carved a niche for themselves and are placed in respectable positions in corporate, academics, government services, business, startups and so on. The outreach work of KIIT University is on a massive scale in terms of social and economic empowerment. The contribution to sports in terms of producing sportspersons and creation of sports infrastructure is next to none. Three of its students, (separate events) Ms. Dutee Chand, Mr. Shivpal Singh and Ms. C A Bhavani Devi represent in the same Olympics – Tokyo Olympics in 100m & 200m sprint, Javelin (Athletics) and Fencing (Sabre) events respectively. Besides, KIIT is the only University to have academicians, seasoned educationists with decades of experience at the helm of affairs. Currently, Prof. Ved Prakash, former UGC Chairman is the Chancellor of KIIT Deemed to be University. Padmashree Prof. Subrat Acharya is the Pro Chancellor and Prof. Hrushikesh Mohanty and Prof. Sasmita Samanta are the Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor respectively. The students’ performance and belongingness within the campus, and in their workplace after they have graduated have inspired us to strive towards a higher degree of excellence. Instead of basking on its past glory and exponential growth, KIIT looks forward in achieving greater heights in world rankings, research and academics.

Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS)

The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), with its vision of a world free of hunger, poverty and illiteracy, is home to 60,000 indigenous students – this includes 30,000 at our main campus in Bhubaneswar, 15,000 at satellite centres in different districts of Odisha and over 15,000 alumni. KISS upholds affordable and accessible quality education as the key to mitigating the transmission of cycles of poverty that place India’s indigenous communities at a disadvantage.

By providing holistic quality education, skill development, nutrition security, healthcare, equity and inclusion to all its students, KISS enables tribal communities to understand their rights, thereby protecting them from the influence of forces who could take advantage of their isolation from urban communities. In this endeavour, KISS addresses the visions of some of India’s founders such as Nehru, Ambedkar and Gandhi, as well as recommendations of some of India’s earliest policies on tribal education and development, such as the 1952 Nehru’s Panchaseela Niti, 1960 Dhebar Commission Policy Review and the 1986 National Policy on Education. The visions and recommendations of these policies laid the foundation for tribal development and the promotion of education for tribal students while celebrating their rich cultural identity and promoting their creative talent. These ideas form the very core of KISS’ relationship with its students, who are empowered – through culturally-sensitive, quality curricular and extra-curricular education – to become torch-bearers of peace and progress in their communities. The New Education Policy 2020 emphasises the need for holistic education as a benchmark for educational institutes across the country, and this has been central to KISS’ education model – since its inception – thanks to the innovation and foresight of its Founder.

Since its humble inception with merely 125 students in 1993, KISS has grown to its present strength and diversity, representing 62 tribes of Odisha and more from neighbouring States. Its constituent, KISS Deemed to be University, is the first and the largest exclusive university for indigenous children. It has also been in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations since 2015.

KISS has produced more than 5,000 athletes and sportspersons participating in and winning various national and international events. The students of KISS have performed well academically, with their pass percentage being higher than the state average for tribals. KISS stands for Gender Equity, Vocational Empowerment and Women’s Empowerment based on the 3E formula of “Enable, Educate and Empower.” The most important principle of the success of this model is the indigenous control of education, where importance is given to preserving the culture, heritage and traditions of tribal communities.

Through partnership with various UN bodies, corporate houses, NGOs and civil society, KISS has gained over 20 years of collaborative experience within the development field. Since its inception, it has consistently promoted analysis, advocacy and local action for the SDGs – from implementing innovative initiatives to ensure its campus & learning environments nurture empowered youth who can pave the path for a sustainable future, to strategising and implementing community-level projects with the vision of propelling tribal Odisha towards the transformative 2030 Agenda shared by the United Nations. For over 2 decades, KISS has worked to empower & engage tribal youth and tribal community members by amplifying their voices in multi-stakeholder & multi-platform conversations about the path to a sustainable future – voices that are often underrepresented in global discussions.

The unique vision and effective execution of the KISS Model have been lauded by planners and administrators both nationally and internationally, with a call for replication of its innovative approach to indigenous controlled empowerment through education. As KISS’ students successfully graduate as empowered alumni with competitive jobs and degrees, the demand for education among tribal communities is also burgeoning. As a result, KISS has been working to increase its outreach in the State by setting up model schools in all districts of Odisha, beginning with districts that have larger populations of marginalised communities. Due to its inherent limited resources, to realise this ambitious vision of educating and empowering millions of disadvantaged children, KISS’ new schools are being made sustainable and financially self-sustaining through partnership and collaboration with government and non-government agencies. Thus far, KISS is pleased to have inaugurated campuses in Balangir, Baripada, Balasore and Kalahandi. Apart from Odisha, KISS also has a campus in the National Capital Region of Delhi in partnership with the Delhi Government and has also incorporated KISS Foundation USA and KISS Foundation UK as charitable organisations to receive international donations, grants and contributions towards supporting the education and facilities for its 60,000 indigenous students.

Moreover, to make its main campus financially sustainable, KISS follows a unique financial model, wherein its growth has been linked to the growth of its sister institute Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), which is a prestigious private university in the same city. As per the resolution passed by the KIIT Society, 5% of the total turnover of KIIT is donated to KISS as a charitable work/social responsibility. As per the statutory rules of the KIIT Deemed to be University, each staff member contributes 3% of his/her gross salary to KISS for the welfare of tribal children in KISS. The contractors/vendors of KIIT Group of Institutions contribute 2% to 3% of their profits to KISS. Additionally, KISS receives approximately Rs. 15 crores annually in the form of donations from various generous individuals, corporate houses and organizations, like Give India. Other stakeholders of KIIT, including guardians of its students, contribute benevolently to this noble cause. Besides this, approximately Rs. 3 crore is realized from the sale of vocational products produced by KISS in its vocational training centres.

KISS is one of only 14 NGOs in India to have been awarded the Guide Star India Champion Level-Platinum Certification by Guide Star India for its financial transparency. This recognition follows KISS’ inclusion recently in the Top 500 NGOs in the world, widely regarded as the ‘non-profit Ivy League’, and top 10 NGOs in India by Geneva-based organisation, NGO Advisor.

KISS is the brainchild of philanthropist and educationist, Dr Achyuta Samanta, who founded the institute in the early 90s to ameliorate the suffering of impoverished tribal communities. He faced severe hunger, abject poverty and deprivation as a child, and this inspired him to make it his lifelong mission to diminish the suffering of others, particularly Odisha’s many tribal communities. Dr Samanta firmly believes that accessible and affordable education is key to this, and thus, KISS was created as a completely free of cost model from this selfless dream. With his support and guidance, over the last 2 decades, KISS has learned and grown alongside the indigenous community, working with more than 150,000 individuals, and nurturing the dream of educating over 2 million of India’s marginalised youth over the next decade.

Technical partners

United Nations Volunteers in India

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United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is the nodal UN agency that contributes to peace and development worldwide through volunteerism and is described as the ‘jewel of the United Nations’. UNV believes in ‘Volunteerism for Development’. United Nations Volunteers in India (UNV India) is inspired by the conviction that volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and by the idea that everyone can contribute their time and energy towards peace and development. UNV India works in collaborative partnership with a diverse array of actors through policy-led strategic implementation and mobilization of skilled human resource for effective governance, youth development, community resilience, and for advancing the sustainable development goals. UNV India continues to pioneer volunteerism by providing catalytic support, under the collaborative project – ‘Strengthening Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and National Service Scheme (NSS)’ with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), Government of India and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UN Women

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UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities:

Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems

Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy

All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence

Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action

UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.

UNFPA

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

UNFPA Supports:

  • Reproductive health care for women and youth in more than 150 countries – which are home to more than 80 per cent of the world’s population
  • The health of pregnant women, especially the 1 million who face life-threatening complications each month
  • Reliable access to modern contraceptives sufficient to benefit 20 million women a year
  • Training of thousands of health workers to help ensure at least 90 per cent of all childbirths are supervised by skilled attendants

  • Prevention of gender-based violence, which affects 1 in 3 women
  • Abandonment of female genital mutilation, which harms 3 million girls annually
  • Prevention of teen pregnancies, complications of which are the leading cause of death for girls 15-19 years old
  • Efforts to end child marriage, which could affect an estimated 70 million girls over the next 5 years
  • Delivery of safe birth supplies, dignity kits and other life-saving materials to survivors of conflict and natural disaster Censuses, data collection and analyses, which are essential for development planning