Meet Renowned First Lady Artist of Odisha — World Watch

An in-depth interview-feature published in World Watch (Cuttack) on 10 June 2025, titled 'Meet Renowned First Lady Artist of Odisha Basant Kumari Samanta.' The article traces her landmark journey as the first woman to join the Khallikot Government College of Arts and Crafts in 1957 and the first woman to earn a Diploma in Fine Art Oil Painting there in 1961, at a time when girls from ordinary Odia families were rarely encouraged beyond formal schooling. She speaks about the mentors who shaped her — Sarat Chandra Dev, Jita Charan Mohanty, Ajit Keshari Ray and Rabi Narayan Nayak — her decades of teaching, and her conviction that art deserves a stronger place in India's educational curriculum. The feature also catalogues an extensive list of titles and honours conferred on her over her career, from the Rashtriya Lalit Kala Akademi to the Ganjam District Art Teacher Association and NCERT.