Padma Shri awardee Prof. Mahapatra calls on SOA President to discuss future roadmap

Bhubaneswar, May 3: Eminent neurosurgeon and Padma Shri awardee Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra visited Prof. (Dr.) Manojranjan Nayak, Founder President of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), on Saturday and engaged in discussions on the university’s academic and healthcare development strategies.

The meeting followed Prof. Mahapatra’s recent national honour—he was conferred the Padma Shri by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu on April 28 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, for his exceptional contributions to medical science, particularly in neurosurgery.

Prof. Mahapatra, a globally acclaimed neurosurgeon, currently serves as the Chief Advisor (Health Sciences) at SOA. He has previously held key positions, including Vice-Chancellor of SOA, Head of Neurosurgery at AIIMS New Delhi, and was the founding Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

During the interaction, Prof. Mahapatra shared insights on SOA’s future growth, research priorities, and healthcare expansion. Prof. Nayak congratulated him on the prestigious award and expressed pride in his long-standing association with SOA.