The October 2026 cover of Global Cover Story introduces Prof. Dr. Srinibas Mahapatro through three connected commitments: education, institution building and service. Based in Berhampur, Odisha, he has spent more than 35 years working as a teacher, professor, principal and academic leader. His career suggests that an institution's value is measured not only by the programmes it offers, but by the confidence and judgement its students develop.
Presidency Group and professional education in South Odisha
Mahapatro founded Presidency Group of Institutions in Berhampur in 1998. As the October issue explains, his aim was to make career-oriented learning more accessible to students in South Odisha. The group became an early mover in introducing BBA and BCA programmes in the state, then expanded its undergraduate and postgraduate offerings. For him, establishing an institution was the first step; sustaining useful teaching, sound administration and attention to student progress became the longer task.
His academic path crosses commerce, management, research and law. The magazine records qualifications including M.Com., M.Phil., MBA, Ph.D. and LL.B., along with professional diplomas and advanced management study. It also describes his work in entrepreneurship awareness camps and development programmes. These activities connect classroom learning to initiative, practical problem solving and the possibility of creating work rather than only seeking it.
A long association with Rotary International
Mahapatro's Rotary association began in 1997-98. He helped form the Rotary Club of Berhampur Silkcity as its Charter Secretary and later took on district roles including Assistant Governor, Assistant District Trainer, conference organiser and publication chair. One change highlighted in the issue was his introduction of a video edition of the Governor's Monthly Letter for District 3262. The format changed, but its purpose remained to connect clubs, document service and recognise volunteers.
The profile also describes research articles, developmental writing and books on entrepreneurship, consumer behaviour and leadership. His interests in ethics, financial inclusion and sustainable development sit alongside academic governance roles at other institutions. Taken together, they show a career spent building structures through which other people can learn and contribute.
Leadership as a continuing responsibility
Across teaching, Rotary and cultural service, Mahapatro returns to the same idea: leadership matters most when it develops others. Students need more than credentials; voluntary organisations need more than office holders. Both require people who communicate clearly, cooperate and accept responsibility over time. Read the full October 2026 magazine for the six-page cover profile.