FOCUSING ON QUALITY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, SOA PREPARING STUDENTS FOR NEW AGE CHALLENGES
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) is a Deemed to be University located in Bhubaneswar which has been churning out professionals in varied fields making them ready for the requirements and new age challenges of different sectors.
A socially inclusive institution of higher education, SOA came into existence on July 17, 2007 when the Education Ministry conferred on it the status of a Deemed to be University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. It has since emerged as a centre of superlative professional education with its focus on research.
SOA is home to more than 18,000 students, including from 30 other countries, who have chosen the Deemed to be University to chart out a future for themselves .
SOA has twelve institutions imparting education in varied subjects including engineering and technology, medical sciences, dental sciences, management sciences, hospitality and tourism management, nursing, pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, legal studies, agricultural sciences, veterinary sciences and animal husbandry.
Just 18 years old, SOA has continuously figured in the list of top universities of the country as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) placings having found place in the top 25 institutions of higher education on all occasions since 2016 when the NIRF ranking was first introduced.
SOA’s Founder President, Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak is not just the architect of an institution, but a visionary leader in the field of education who dared to dream big. At a time when others confronted challenges, he saw possibilities. He envisioned a global education hub.
His leadership style reminds all that machines respond to commands, but people respond to conviction — and it is this conviction, clarity of purpose, and deep belief in the power of education, that has built the edifice that we see around us today.
From a single step to a movement, from an idea to an institution — Prof. (Dr.) Nayak’s journey is not just inspiring, it is a burning example of transformational leadership.
SOA was ranked 14th in the country by NIRF in 2024. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which has termed SOA as socially inclusive, has re-accredited it in 2022 with the highest grade of A++.
SOA has been globally ranked by QS and THE. The Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), its faculty of engineering and technology, was ranked 26th in the country by NIRF in 2024 while the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medical sciences, was ranked 21st in the country the same year. The SOA National Institute of Law, faculty of legal studies, and Institute of Dental Sciences, faculty of dental sciences, were ranked 9th in the country by NIRF.
SOA’s focus being on research, it has set up 18 research centres which have been working in 27 identified thrust areas. Besides, SOA has established four inter-disciplinary centres, namely Centre for Climate Smart Agriculture, Quantom Science and Technology, Centre for Industrial Biotechnology, Centre for Nano Science and Nano Technology.
Some of the ongoing research work is supported by grants sanctioned by several external agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Sixty laboratories have been established besides the research centres to boost the research ecosystem in the campus.
Researchers at SOA have developed simple economical and innovative pharmaceutical formulations to treat various chronic medical conditions for which the Deemed to be University has signed technology licensing agreement with the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Two of the products have been commercialized.
As part of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of the central government, an Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) has been established in campus of ITER which has been designated as AIC-SOA Foundation. Its objective is to promote and set up world class incubation centres in specific subjects and sectors such as manufacturing, transport, energy, health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation. The incubation centre is intended to support and encourage innovative technology-based start-ups.
Thirty two of SOA’s researchers figured in the list of world’s top 2 per cent scientists drawn up by Stanford University of USA in 2024.
The 3500-bedded IMS and SUM Hospital, which has become one of the most sought after healthcare centres in the state, deploys excellent modern and advanced diagnostic, surgical and life saving equipment for treatment. The hospital extends quality medical facilities for patients at an affordable cost. A separate 525 bedded multi-speciality hospital, SUM Ultimate Medicare has been established by SOA in Bhubaneswar which extends state-of-the-art healthcare to the people.
Recently, SOA has set up new campuses of IMS and SUM Hospital near Phulnakhara on the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack highway and at Sitalapalli in the south Odisha city of Berhampur to expand its healthcare outreach. The Phulnakhara campus has received approval to run as a medical college with an intake of 150 students in the MBBS course from the current academic session. The hospital with 2000 beds has become functional. The Sitalapalli campus of IMS and SUM Hospital has 200 beds.
When the Covid-19 struck in 2020, SOA stepped up to assist the state government in battling the pandemic by operating five stand alone Covid Hospitals in Odisha in collaboration with the state government. It provided doctors, nurses and paramedics who worked round the clock for over two years to save lives. SOA also operated two Covid Care Centres in the state during the period.
More than 5,000 doctors, nurses and paramedics of IMS and SUM Hospital, who were deployed in these facilities, worked tirelessly to ensure that the patients received proper treatment. Many of these medical professionals had to remain away from their families for weeks to treat the patients and ensure that they received proper care. Altogether, the facilities created by SOA accounted for nearly 2600 beds for Covid-19 patients in the state. More than 50,000 patients got treated in the stand alone Covid hospitals as the pandemic raged for two and half years.