At its fifth convocation held at the Bhubaneswar campus, the Asian School of Business Management University conferred the Honorary Doctoral Degree in Development Management on Shri Jagadananda, Co-founder of CYSD.
The Asian School of Business Management (ASBM) University has conferred the Honorary Doctoral Degree in Development Management on Jagadananda, Co-founder of CYSD, in recognition of his more than four decades of pioneering work with tribal groups, distressed migrants, the urban poor, and disaster-affected communities in Odisha.
The honour was conferred at the fifth Convocation of ASBM University, held at its Bhubaneswar campus in the presence of Prof. Biswajeet Pattanayak, President of ASBM University, and Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court and currently Member of the National Human Rights Commission along with Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya, CMD, National Small Industries Corporation of India.
Odisha is home to over 9 million tribal citizens (23 per cent of the state’s population), many of whom remain socially and economically marginalized. Each year, more than 1 million people migrate in distress to other states in search of livelihood. The state has also faced 15 major cyclones and countless floods over the past two decades, underscoring the urgency of disaster preparedness and resilience-building.
Bridge Research with Grassroots
Accepting the honour, Jagadananda said, “This degree is not just a personal recognition but a tribute to the resilience and courage of the people of Odisha. Their struggles and aspirations have been my greatest teachers, and whatever I have been able to contribute has been possible only because of the solidarity of colleagues, friends, and partners.”
On this occasion, he called upon governments to strengthen inclusive policies for tribal empowerment, ensure safe and dignified migration, build resilient urban systems, and invest in disaster preparedness.
“Government must deepen investments in tribal empowerment, safe migration, urban resilience, and disaster preparedness, these are not options, but urgent necessities,” he said.
He also appealed to the academic community to bridge research with grassroots realities, nurture young leaders in development management, and foster innovation in community-driven solutions. “I dedicate this honour to the people of Odisha, their resilience, courage, and unyielding hope will continue to inspire every step of my journey,” Jagadananda said.
