Er. Arjun Marandi
Assistant Executive Engineer, Department of Water Resources, Govt. of Odisha
‘Each one should feel proud to be a KISSIAN…”
Sri Arjun Marndi, who has been serving as Assistant Executive Engineer in the Department of Water Resources , Government of Odisha since 2016, was born on 3 April, 1993, in a poor Santal family at Dasarapada, Udala, Mayurbhanj. This young man spent his childhood in hardship and abject poverty. His father, a poor farmer, with little formal education, struggled to provide for a family of five members. But he knew that education could bring about a change for the better in the life of his son. After completing school education at Dasarapada Upper Primary School and Government High School, Sarat, in Mayrbhanj district, Arjun joined KISS at the intermediate stage, which is crucial for a student’s academic growth and professional career. Let’s hear from Arjun his own story in his words about how KISS transformed his life.
I come from a very backward village where no electricity and transportation facility are available. Being in that area I never had any dream. When I was in standard 9, I came to know that KISS provides free education to the poor tribal children. I dreamt of studying at KISS. I had many more dreams to pursue too – dreams of education, self-dependence, happiness, prosperity etc… KISS helped me in realizing and fulfilling them. Being an average student but eager to learn, KISS provided me a perfect teaching-learning environment. The support staff guided me throughout my academic journey. International guests were arriving at KISS. This gave us exposure to a much wider world sight, and to see the world in different manner. I never had heard of or thought about B.Tech as a career option. But KISS helped me to pursue the course successfully. After B.tech, I am now employed an Engineer in Government of Odisha. I’m indebted to Dr. Achyutaya Samanta sir for everything.
Initially, I missed home and village coming to KISS. However, slowly I realized that KISS was my home away from home. All teachers were like my parents. I got friends, brothers and sisters at KISS. I found a whole new family at KISS – so many friends and siblings were always there. They helped me in curricular and extra-curricular works. They stood by me at all the time, be it study, sports, health care facility. They taught me how to live a social life to the full, maintaining the spirit of unity in diversity. KISS helped me in improving my social life. Only for KISS, we could study engineering in KIIT University. Samanta Sir always encouraged us to study well, so that our next generation will not suffer. He always emphasized to take the deprived children to the mainstream of the society.
I didn’t feel home-sick ever again, since to study at KISS was my ultimate goal. My parents as well as I wished to do well in my studies and bring a good name to the village and community. I did not miss my friends and the traditional games, since I found new friends from different communities at KISS and played various types of traditional games as well as national and international games, for which facilities were available aplenty at KISS.
Initially, it was difficult for me to catch up with the study in KISS as I was from an Odia medium school. To understand Physics, Chemistry, Math and Biology was quite difficult for me. But our teachers made the subjects very simple by teaching us in a very effective manner. Very supportive and hardworking, the teachers at KISS were teaching the indigenous students in such a manner that everyone could understand the gist of the topic. They were always available to us for our academic needs. They were guiding us in classroom as well as in the hostel. In fact for outstanding teaching and mentoring at KISS I would rate it as 10/10.
Our elder brothers and sisters were also very helpful to us, and they guided us in studies at all the time. I overcame all the difficulty, being helped by our teachers, friends, elder brothers and sisters. Our mentors were also helping us in academic as well as non-academic activities.
Academic support by KISS was outstanding; whatever I am now is only because of the sacred institute KISS. World class academic facilities were provided to the deprived children at KISS; special computer labs were for our academic; the interactive methods used by teachers were very helpful. Books, copies and all stationery items were provided to us at free of cost. KISS helps the poorest of the poor and marginalized masses to be productive, self-dependent and socially useful. I am from a BPL family and my father is a farmer. I would not have become an engineer being from a poor family, but the education that I received from this institute made it possible. When I was a student in engineering, I got scholarship money, which I used the for the socio economic welfare of the family and the community. Being an engineer, I am self-dependent, productive and socially useful to my family and my community.
I am still very much connected to my community and my village, and I want education to spread, and healthcare as well as economic conditions to improve in my village. When I go home, I participate in various social activities and motivate the younger generation to study well. As I have been posted at Kalahandi, I attend all the tribal related programmes and encourage the people to move forward on the path of progress and prosperity. I have always come forward for the betterment of the tribal society.
As a Brand Ambassador of KISS, I would like to work for the uplift of my community, especially in the field of education and healthcare. Serving people is my greatest ambition; I will make special provision to educate all the deprived children of my community.
My message to the students of KISS is that they must study hard, obey their teachers and elders and always remember what our beloved Samanta sir said: “Giving education to the deprived is like giving sight to the blind”. My message to the alumni of KISS is that they should remain to be connected with KISS, their alma mater. They should provide social, moral and economical support to the KISS family. They should try to participate in all events of KISS and each one should feel proud to be a KISSIAN.
