Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: KIIT and KISS founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been awarded the much coveted Mahatma Award India 2024 by Aditya Birla Group.The Mahatma Award is conferred by the Aditya Birla Group on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 every year. Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT and KISS is an educationist and social worker and he has been conferred with the prestigious Mahatma Award ahead of Gandhi Jayanti.Dr. Samanta has been conferred with this honor for his outstanding contribution in the field of education and social service. This honor was initiated in honour of Amit Sahadde, who is known as the eminent CSR man of India. This honor is given to an outstanding person who is involved in the development work of the society.Since 2016, this honor has been given to eminent persons and institutions like Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Sabana Azmi. There is a selection committee for awarding this honour. This honour is given to a person after a thorough evaluation. Achyuta Samanta has been engaged in education and social service for 33 years. For the last three decades, Dr. Samanta has been following the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi for the development of tribals and neglected sections of the society and removing inequality in the society.Today, he has been honored with the Mahatma Award for his socially acclaimed work. Eminent individuals and institutions like eminent educationist and writer Sudha Murthy, Odissi and Bharatnatyam dancer Sonal Mansingh were felicitated in this program today. Social worker and Rajshri Birla and former Lt. Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi were present on the occasion.Samanta expressed his gratitude to the organization for conferring him with the Mahatma Award. He also thanked the Director