Late Ar. Kunja Behari Mohapatra
Mr. Mohapatra was one of the pioneer architects in the state of Odisha. He was an alumnus of Sir J.J. College of Architecture, Mumbai. He launched his firm Engineers Combine in the late 1960s and started the first private Architecture college in eastern India in early 90s with an aspiration to increase the skill availability in the eastern part of India. He started the Piloo Modi College of Architecture in 1993 and Ajay Binay Institute of Technology in 1998 with an intent to broaden the reach of technical education in rural Odisha. Today, ABIT boasts of students from far off corners of the state.
He was the ex-President of Council of Architecture, India. He had been a member of the executive committee of Council of Architecture (COA) for over a decade and member of Indian Institute of architects (IIA).He has served as the chairperson of Council of Architecture, India for 15 years. He was a well-known name in the architectural field as someone who wanted to contribute to the society by providing quality and affordable education.