GUWAHATI, April 4: Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Thursday conferred the state’s highest civilian awards for 2024 at a prestigious ceremony held at the Srimanta Sankardev International Auditorium. The event, attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, celebrated individuals who have made remarkable contributions across various fields, showcasing Assam’s vibrant cultural, scientific, and social landscape.
The Assam Baibhav, the state’s most distinguished civilian honour, was awarded to Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita (Retd) for his exemplary service. The Assam Saurabh award was presented to Subramanian Ramadorai for his academic contributions, Dr. Bappi Paul and Dr. Purabi Saikia for their work in environmental science, and cultural icons such as singer Dwipen Baruah, dramatist Hemanta Dutta, and cricketer Uma Chetry.
The Assam Gaurav awards recognised a wide range of achievers, including wildlife conservationist Phuleswari Dutta, motorbiker Meenakshi Das, footballer Parthib Sundar Gogoi, artisans Dhirendra Nath Paul and Haridas Das, student mentor Binong Teron, fish farmer Nazrul Haque, agriculturist Biswajit Borah, dairy producer Bharat Ch. Kalita, folk musician Barlangfa Narzary, singer and artist Ram Sashoni, and entrepreneurs Upamanyu Borkakoty and David Pratim Gogoi.
Special recognition was also given to eco-tourism contributor Choran Ahem (represented by Mangal Singh Teron), Barekuri Village (represented by Dipllob Chutia) for wildlife conservation, and Hati Bondhu NGO (represented by Pradip Kumar Bhuyan) for its notable efforts in wildlife preservation.
The ceremony was marked by the presence of cabinet ministers, senior government officials, and various dignitaries, who applauded the awardees for their dedication and service to the state.
