Guwahati, Jan 16: The Assam government has decided to confer the highest state civilian award – “Assam Baibhav” – on former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
This was informed by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a media conference here on Tuesday.
Enrolled as an advocate on August 28, 1978, Gogoi is the first judge from Northeast India to hold the post of Chief Justice of India. During the tenure of Gogoi as the Chief Justice of India in 2018-2019, the apex court had given the verdict in the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid title suit.
Gogoi is currently a Member of the Rajya Sabha, having been nominated by President Ram Nath Kovind on March 16, 2020.
On the other hand, the state government decided to confer the “Assam Saurav” award on Kishan Chand Nauriyal, who is currently serving as a cultural expert in the directorate of archaeology, indigenous and tribal faith and culture department of the Assam government
With over 35 years of experience in cultural heritage management in Archaeological Survey of India, Nauriyal has been instrumental in the preparation of World Heritage Nomination Dossier as a cultural expert in respect of maidams — the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty at Charaideo in Assam.
The state government has also decided to confer the “Assam Saurav” awards on ace swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika; sprinter Hima Das and Tiwa dance and music exponent Nadiram Deuri
Notably, Elvis is the first Assamese and first Indian to complete the two-way swim of the English Channel. Hima, on the other hand, is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U-20 Championships
Besides, 17 achievers will receive the ‘Assam Gaurav’ award. They are Bihu dance exponent Ranjit Gogoi; animal conservation activist Parvati Barua; film mixing engineer and sound designer Debojit Changmai; Ojapali dance exponent Drono Bhuyan; organic farmer Neelam Dutta; entrepreneur Anupam Deka; wildlife conservation activist Soumyadeep Dutta; progressive mushroom cultivator Basanta Chiring Phukan; bamboo craftsman Manendra Deka; ASHA worker Meenakshi Chetia; Karbi folk singer Pakhila Lekhtepi; tea grower and environmentalist Tenzing Bodosa; entrepreneur Nirmal Dey; entrepreneur Jecin Kumbang Pao; Anganwadi worker Mary Hassa; black rice cultivator Upendra Rabha and progressive farmer Rahul Gupta.
“The awards will be presented by Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at the Sankardev Kalakshetra here on February 10, 2024. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will attend the state civilian awards ceremony as chief guest,” the chief minister said.