# Achyuta Samanta international honors and leadership roles > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/achyuta-samanta-international-honors-and-leadership-roles > Updated: 2026-10-15T05:45:54.000Z. Sources: 9. Developments: 3. Achyuta Samanta, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), has received significant international recognition for his contributions to education and social development. In late September 2026, Samanta was honored in Romania with honorary citizenship from Milișăuți and the Key to the City of Bârlad, and named ‘Leader of the Year’ at the CEEMAN Champions Awards. He also received the FIDE ‘Education Philanthropic Award’ in Uzbekistan and multiple honors during the 45th World Congress of Poets, including the ‘Mother Teresa Award’. By mid-October 2026, Samanta’s influence expanded into sports administration and academic publishing. He was unanimously elected as the first president of the Indian UniSport Federation (IUSF), an organization approved by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to coordinate university-level athletics in India. In his inaugural address, Samanta emphasized collaborative efforts to prepare Indian athletes for major events like the Commonwealth Games. He brings prior experience as president of the Volleyball Federation of India and the Odisha Volleyball Association to this role. Additionally, Samanta released a book titled ‘The KIIT Model: Pioneering Higher Education towards the SDGs’. The publication details how the KIIT ecosystem supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by integrating academic excellence with social responsibility and environmental stewardship, describing the campus as a ‘Living Laboratory’ for solar power, waste management, and biodiversity conservation. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-15: Achyuta Samanta elected first president of Indian UniSport Federation Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT and KISS, has been elected as the first president of the Indian UniSport Federation to advance university sports and athlete development in India. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/achyuta-samanta-elected-first-president-of-indian-unisport-federation ### 2026-10-12: Achyuta Samanta elected president of Indian UniSport Federation Prof. Achyuta Samanta has been elected the first president of the Indian UniSport Federation and launched a new book detailing the KIIT model for advancing Sustainable Development Goals through higher education 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/achyuta-samanta-elected-president-of-indian-unisport-federation ### 2026-09-26: Achyuta Samanta receives multiple international honors for education and social work KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta has received multiple international honors, including honorary citizenship in Romania and the Mother Teresa Award, for his contributions to education and social reform. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/achyuta-samanta-receives-multiple-international-honors-for-education-and-social-work --- Cite as: Achyuta Samanta international honors and leadership roles. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/achyuta-samanta-international-honors-and-leadership-roles