The Power of Education

The life and vision of Dr Achyuta Samanta has been guided by an unshakeable belief in the transformative power of education

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Education is the third eye of a child," says Dr Achyuta Samanta, a visionary educationist and compassionate humanitarian. "The Almighty has given two eyes to see the world, but it is education that truly opens our inner vision to perceive and understand the world fully." This philosophy is not just a lofty idea for Dr Samanta—it is the very foundation of his life story.

Born into poverty in the 1970s in a tiny, forgotten village in Odisha, India, Dr Samanta grew up amidst great hardship. After losing his father at the tender age of four, he watched his mother—a widow with seven children—battle every single day to provide even two meals for her family. Their home was a crude, shed-like structure, their possessions meagre. Government welfare schemes rarely, if ever, reached their doorstep. Hunger was a regular companion, so much so that the family would often sleep early to forget their empty stomachs.