Dr. Satyabrata Minaketan- From Slum Teacher to ‘Evangelist of India 40
Dr. Satyabrata Minaketan, the Founder Chairman of ODM Group of Institutions, Patia, Bhubaneswar, who has proved that nothing is impossible with diligent and meticulous work, determination, discipline, perseverance, positive attitude and humility yet high dream.
A Special coverage by Mr Atratran Mishra, Bhuwaneshwar
When someone rises from acutely humble background of a single tin-shed of slum school with merely 10 students to build an empire of corporate group of education with global schooling benchmark with thousands of bright students, hundreds of smart teachers and innumerable national and international laurels, the whole world around naturally stares. This is Dr. Satyabrata Minaketan, the Founder Chairman of ODM Group of Institutions, Patia, Bhubaneswar, who has proved that nothing is impossible with diligent and meticulous work, determination, discipline, perseverance, positive attitude and humility yet high dream. His achievements have always been point of great envy and admiration in the field of national and international school education with many feathers on his cap in the form of state, national and international level awards and rewards including the British Council International School Accreditation and National Award from none other than the President of India.
Now, his being conferred with ‘Evangelist of India’ Award by internationally acclaimed ‘Forbes India’ and felicitated by the great speaker and novelist ‘Chetan Bhagat’ is a great pride and joy not only for ODM Group of Education, but also for whole of Odisha.
While in his village and from the time he was studying in class IX, he also fought bravely for social justice in welfare of the forbidden and downtrodden people, for child rights, casteism, atrocity against women which are clearly mentioned in his autobiography ‘Manisha Gadha Karigar’.
While doing his graduation at RCE, he showed his brilliance not only in education but also in cultural and philanthropic activities. Being one of the only eight students for admission in nationally renowned Regional College of Education (Now ‘Regional Institute of Education’) in the year 1982, he wrote his own golden career. He furthered his dream and ambition of being an educationist and philanthropist right from this national platform. Apart from his own learning, he started teaching in slums and helping the slum and hamlet dwellers in Shikhar Chandi slum. At the tribal villages of Bhalunka, Chudanga etc, he created land mark achievements striving hard to provide relief, food, shelter and agricultural support for the rehabilitation of three hundred families after the devastating phase of Super Cyclone 1999.
Back in the year 1989, when he started a formal school with finger count students and two teachers in a three room rented tin shed, where virtually he did the job of a Principal, a teacher, a clerk, a sweeper and a security guard all together, he had always nurtured and nourished the long cherished dream of a marvellous smart school of high qualities and values at par with global standard while still maintaining Indian values and virtues, culture and literature, vedas and scriptures. And he has done it through out. For last 31 years, he has never looked back. Starting from the tiny unit of ODM Public School in BDA Colony, Bhubaneswar, he has successfully set up huge Head quarters and ODM Public School at Sishu Vihar, Patia, Astral Institute of Management Studies, Patia, a global school at Daruthenga and Institute of Human Excellence with Eastern Asia’s biggest Ayurveda and Nature Cure therapy center called ‘Health Ville’ at Bhalunka, Bhubaneswar with very congenial, conducive, progressive, smart and advanced facilities and opportunities for students and teachers, which have been enriching and empowering the future human resource of the state and nation relentlessly with nationalistic dedication, devotion and determination with indomitable zeal and enthusiasm. ODM Public School under his leadership has attained and achieved innumerable laurels in the terms of quality result and success in other important areas like high success rate of students in IIT, Medical Entrance, KVPY, NTSE and MBA students’ standard employments. His institution is ultra modern in all aspects with facilities of Chembridge English Learning Department, Resonance Coaching for career aspirants etc. Its no wonder that ODM Public School has been the first choice of the parents. Apart from being a highly successful educationist and social worker, he is a prolific writer with publication of 17 international best selling quality books on Life skill, Physical and Mental Health, Values and Ethics, Yoga and meditation. He is also an eminent motivational speaker to his noble credit. As a philanthropist, he has been providing free education, lodging and board, study materials and garments to hundreds of orphans and destitute students with two crores of scholarship to meritorious students every year. He has adopted five tribal villages providing them basic means of livelihood under his social commitment projects. As President, Rotary Club Heritage, Bhubaneswar too, he has been rendering yeomen service to nation. He has further higher dreams to open up new educational opportunities in every state of India contributing to nation-building through quality education, as he has said to me in our interview session.
His recent achievement of Forbes India ‘Great Evangelist of India’ award among best forty educationists in India and being only recipient from Odisha has added another golden leaf to the History of ODM Educational Group.