Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) is the largest residential institute for the tribal in the world, providing accommodation, food, health care, and education from Kindergarten to Post Graduation, vocational training and all other basic amenities of life absolutely free with a job after completion of education”.

• A humble beginning in 1993 with 125 children who grew up to 1200 in 2012. 
• As per current statistics, it holds the strength of 20,107 children (57% boys and 43% girls).
• Students Originated from 62 tribes of Odisha.
• Panoramic and Breathtakingly beautiful campus.
• They have holy faith and firm belief in the Lord Jagannath as God is regarded as to controller and purveyor of all the Happenings in the campus. Apparently, God is at the core of their prayers. 

(i) Observation conducted on KISS on Management:

• The campus itself is vast, green and vivid as it accommodates the cultural heritage of Odisha.
• The entry to the academic block is pleasant.
• Students are always following the queue pattern for travelling.
• Further ahead there is a common lavatory and washrooms for the children.
• A common residence is there to sustain almost 1780 pass out students.
• Further, a large pond is situated where Fishery and above which poultry farm is to be constructed.
• Ponds are provided with Fencing to prevent kids undergo further in the pond. 
• Dairy farming is also under consideration where Korean Cows will be imported.
• Cricket Practice Playground is there.
• There is a solar system that generates KW of Energy.
• The Institute is keen to open more schools in various parts of Odisha, with 20 more schools under construction.
• Students were picking up the garbage thrown here and there.
• There is a timing for the supply of mineral water.
• The water taps are provided with fencing to prevent the washing of plates.
• Display of thought of the day: ‘Character is destiny’.
• Children are treated as pearl.
• Students are provided dress twice on occasions of Sarswati Pooja and Ganesh Pooja.
• Students are allowed to meet their parents on the last Sunday of the month and leave their home on vacations once a year.
• KISS has implemented a solar energy system.

(ii) School Assembly:

• ‘Prayer is the key of Morning and bolt of the evening’- Gandhiji.
• The day begins with the morning assembly at 10:10 AM.
• The students gathered in the ‘Multipurpose Mega Dining Hall’ for the prayers.
• The morning assembly itself is an excellent demonstration of Discipline, Dedication and Determination.
• It was quite phenomenal to watch this number of students to pray in the chorus.
• A bunch of students including the musical unit were reciting the prayer while others repeated.
• They have six different prayers for different days.
• The cultural harmony and symbiosis were distinct in the assembly.
• There was pin-drop silence at the moment by which various activities were conducted. 
• The sitting plan included girls sitting first following the boys with a gap between them.
• There were various kinds of Musical Instruments which has been played.
• The Lady teachers were sitting on the floor in the front and gents were standing at the back.
• The importance of teachers was highlighted with the Kabir Chants of 
•  ‘Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheswarah,
•  Gurur Sakshat Param Brahm, Tasmai Sri Guruwe Namah’.
• Thought of the day was extracted from daily life. On that day it was about not to waste food and clean uniform.
• The recitation of the National Anthem in the masses was an emotional ride while it gave the Goosebumps.
• The students dispersed with the ‘Jai Hind’ slogan and left the hall in a queue.

(iii) Classroom Activity:

• Neat and clean well-aerated smart classrooms.
• Clean blackboard and dust-free.
• Various charts and models are exhibited on the classroom walls.
• Teachers roaming inside the class.
• Teachers generally had good verbal skills and effective communication.
• Students are very much interactive and keen on studies.
• Involvement of students in teaching-learning processes.
• The teacher deals with the student’s queries.
• Excellent student’s response to the problem imposed against them.
• Students practise the classroom activities there only.
• Very disciplined students.
• Healthy competition prevails among the students.
• The teacher has generally warm hospitality and caring concern for weak students.
• Blackboard and charts are prepared and displayed.
• Clapping and patting to encourage the students.
• Stimulus variation and reinforcement was observed by the teacher.
• Students were made free to post their questions against the teacher.
• The task is given at the end to do the Homework.

(iv) Co-curricular activities:

Vocational Unit:

• Amazing eye-catching projects and antiques were displayed prepared by the students themselves.
• These outstanding items prepared by the students aren’t sold in the market rather they are kept to be exhibited.
• Students were given a dress twice a year which is stitched by the students only.
• They are one of the largest producers of pure wax.
• They displayed fabulous tribal painting. 
• They are the source of inspiration to all in the usage of waste paper management.
• It was the best part of there their education enabling them to earn while they learn.
• One-third of the surplus from the sale of these products is distributed among the students.
• There were handmade non-biodegradable papers, pickles, appliques made by the creative students.
• Students of Minor age were tailoring with greater ease.
• These are the pioneers of the future.
• A few children were drawing sketch and were really good at pencil shading. 

(v) Games and Sports:

• There were 17 different types of sports being played there.
• The participation of girls in games was amazing.
• Besides the shortage of resources, they were developing their sportive skills in various fields.
• It was hockey time and Coach Lakra Sir was sharpening the skill of the players.
• A boy named Xerox of standard one charmed every one of his dribbling skills. Then only I came to know the meaning of the Quote “Skill is nil without Will”
• In a single ground, various games were practised and trained by eminent coaches of India.
• Further, they were being trained by the Netball champion coach.
• Judo practice was also done by various enthusiastic girls.

(vi) Infrastructural facilities:

Dining:

• Students taking Lunch on their own.
• Students were also involved in various day to day activities like cutting vegetables, washing and transporting the food materials.
• High grade of quality food is provided to them.
• They are having great patience as they queue up to a long distance.
• Innocence and eagerness to have their meal are also exhibited.
• Monday’s menu included Rice and Dalma which contains almost 22 kinds of vegetable ingredients.
• They have their own farmhouse where vegetables are cultivated and processed by the students themselves.
• There is a separate mineral water production unit, where processed and packaged water is provided to all.

The Mess:

• It is said as the Kitchen is the Heart of Home.
• They have got a wonderful ‘Steam-based Germ-free kitchen’ with a separate steam generating unit.
• The germ-free kitchen is maintained at a particular temperature.
• Health attracts major concern and henceforth fresh and high-quality vegetables, non-polished daal is provided to them.
• As per Numerology, they prepare 46 quintals of rice, 18 quintals of vegetables and all prepared by 68 cooking staff.
• Food items are cooked keeping the nutritional values in mind. As it’s being said ‘One can’t think well, Sleep well and Love well if he hasn’t dined well”.

100 Bedded KISS Hospital:

• Neat and clean wards where Dr Bhuyan serving the patients.
• It was unique as the single Hospital contained a separate Laboratory, Medicine store and OPD.
• Free test and medicine were provided to all the students.
• This holy service of nursing and treatment wasn’t only restricted to students but is provided at zero cost to their family also.
• ‘Nursing wasn’t duty but a home job to them’.
• Mr Amresh Sahoo at the Laboratory informed that minor test like blood tests are performed in the laboratory while for major tests they seek the help of KIMS.

Life Skill Education Program:

• They have made a pioneering attempt in introducing the Life skill education program.
• There is a project on Adolescence Reproductive Sexual health, ARSH.
• The program is supported by the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA.
• Students are taught in a very comfortable atmosphere.
• Concepts are clarified with the help of simple activities like games, pie chart or snake and ladder game to create interest among them.
• It is practised to make adolescents aware of the critical physical and mental changes occurring during this phase.
• Students were made aware of sex education.
• It also emphasizes exact and accurate education.
• It empowers on to 3 skills:

1. Social Skill 2. Negotiation Skill 3. Coping Skill

• The core life skills include:

1. Self-awareness         2. Empathy
3. Decision Making 4. Problem Solving
5. Creative Thinking 6. Critical Thinking
7. Effective Communication 8. Interpersonal Relationship
9. Dealing with emotion 10. Coping with Stress

Jagannath Temple: 

• The temple architectural style is a landmark that flourished in the ancient Kalinga region.
• It contained massive walls which are carved with monuments.
• However, it let only the Hindus of Indian origin to enter inside.

(vii) Student’s attendance: 

• Students are very much interactive and keen on studies.
• There was almost a cent per cent attendance of students and all seats were fully occupied.
• Students practise the classroom activities there only
• Very disciplined students so all were generally present to the class.

(viii) Use of audio-visual aids: 

• Classrooms were smartly designed to propagate communication among the teacher and the students.
• Various charts and models are displayed on the classroom walls.
• Clapping and patting to encourage the students.
• Bulk responses were discouraged and the individual answer was preferred so that it would be audible to all.
• Teachers used good verbal and audible skills.

(ix) Teacher-pupil Relationship:

• There was a good positive interaction between the teacher and the students.
• The teacher deals with the student’s queries handsomely.
• The teacher has generally warm hospitality and caring concern for weak students.
• Students were made free to post their questions against the teacher.
• Stimulus variation and reinforcement was observed.
• Very disciplined students maintain healthy competition among themselves. 

(x) Achievement of students of the School: 

• They have decorated the achievement centre with lots of medals, trophies and shields.
• They are 4th-time world champions in U-14 Rugby Championship Held at various places in the world.
• Highly skilled in Football, Hockey, Kho-Kho, Archery.
• Numerous Golds and Silvers have been credited for their excellent sportsmanship.
• Kumari Purnima Murmu, a class 9th student of KISS participated in the 20th National Children’s Science Congress – 2012  held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Manoj Kumar Garada (+2) Represented Odisha in National Children Science Congres held in Hyderabad.

(xi) Educational procedure:

• KISS provides education from KG to PG level.
• The classes are divided into primary, secondary, college and vocational.
• Every Unit headed by a coordinator.
• For primary students classes start from 7:15 AM to 11 AM.
• Secondary School and all other higher classes start from 10:30 AM till 5:30 PM in the evening.
• Special classes are also held from 07:00 PM to 08:30 PM.
• Trained experienced and dedicated teachers are appointed to teach the students.
• There are also special classes to inspire and express the children themselves freely.
• The plethora of activities provides unlimited opportunity for the students to explore their area of interest.
• Intensive coaching is available through ‘specialisation classes’ that encourage the students to excel themselves in respective discipline.

(xii) Promotion policy followed: 

• To eradicate poverty and hunger through education.
• To empower through education.
• To transform ‘liability’ into ‘asset’ through education
• To bring tribal children to the mainstream, at par with others in the society
• To enable them to lead a decent life and avail facilities and opportunities of 21st Century
• To preserve tribal heritage, culture and values
• To nurture tribal children as ‘change agents’ for their community
• To enable them to afford a better quality of life for their children and save them from hardships that their parents and forefathers had to undergo.

(xiii) Admission procedure:

• The Institute provides teaching facility from Class I to Post Graduate classes for the tribal children who belong to the BPL (Below the Poverty line)
• Girls are given preference at the time of admission.
• Students studying at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) come from tribal families who are much below the Poverty Line. 
• Girls and children belonging to Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) are given preference at the time of admission, as per the admission policy of KISS.
• A large number of tribal children from different districts of Odisha are recommended for admission by District Magistrates (DM), Superintendents of Police (SP), Non-Government Organisations (NGO), People’s Representatives (Member of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly) and Corporate Bodies of the respective districts. In addition, a dedicated group of officials of KISS visits various tribal areas of the State to select the most neglected and needy children.
• In this way, KISS gets 30,000 to 40,000 applications per year for admission.

This was all about day first observation on Management and various activities unveiled and displayed to catch our attention on Day One at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences. It epitomises the institution serving selflessly without any demand. All our wishes and good luck to the institution in carrying out the dream job of nurturing all the tribal students across the country.
Thank You.

© Tryambak Srivastava
February 07, 2013
Bhubaneswar