SOA

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 in 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) placing having found place in the top 25 institutions of higher education on all occasions since 2016 when the NIRF ranking was first introduced.

SOA was ranked 15th in the country by NIRF in 2025. 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 22nd in the country by NIRF in 2025 while the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medical sciences, was ranked 15th in the country the same year. The SOA National Institute of Law (SNIL), faculty of legal studies was ranked 10th in the country and Institute of Dental Sciences (IDS), faculty of dental sciences, was ranked 9th in the country by NIRF.

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 is a reminder 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 shaped the edifice that Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan has become 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.

In SOA, women bask in the limelight. More than half of the students of SOA are girls accounting for around 54 percent of total number of students. The University has a large number of women occupying key positions and nearly 42 percent of the university’s employees are women.

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, Centre for Quantum Science and Technology, Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and 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 propel 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 the ITER campus 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.

Forty one of SOA’s researchers figured in the list of world’s top 2 per cent scientists drawn up by Stanford University of USA in 2025.

IMS and SUM Hospital, with more than 3000-beds, 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 575 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 extend 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 1200 beds has become functional. The Sitalapalli campus of IMS and SUM Hospital has 200 beds.

When 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.