Asom Sahitya Sabha sets up educational committee for academic reforms

Dibrugarh, Aug 30: In order to reinforce the academic and cultural foundation of the State, the Asom Sahitya Sabha has constituted a high-powered educational committee comprising eminent academicians, university administrators, and intellectuals.

This initiative marks a significant new direction in the Sabha’s mission to integrate literature, culture, and higher education in a more structured and impactful way, a release stated.

The decision was formally announced by Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha, and secretary Debajit Borah, who described it as a ‘historic step’ towards reshaping the academic landscape of the state.

At the core of this initiative is a newly formed committee headed by Dr Sashi Kanta Saikia, principal of Dibrugarh Hanumanbax Surajmall Kanoi College (Autonomous), who will serve as the convener. The committee will provide strategic academic guidance, organise seminars, and oversee the planning of conference themes ahead of the Sabha’s main sessions.

In an unprecedented move, the committee includes three serving Vice-Chancellors as academic advisors - Dr Ajanta Borgohain Rajkonwar, Vice-Chancellor, Assam Women’s University, Dr Jiten Hazarika, Vice-Chancellor, Dibrugarh University and Dr Nirod Baruah, Vice-Chancellor, Majuli Cultural University. Additional members of the committee include Dr Rajib Handique, Academic Registrar, Gauhati University, Dr Jogen Chandra Kalita, Senior Professor, Gauhati University, D Birinchi Kumar Das, noted writer and Principal, Barpeta College, Jyoti Prasad Kanoi, prominent industrialist and educationist and Manjit Borah, Editor of Asom Aditya newspaper.

The committee’s mandate is to bridge the gap between academia and cultural institutions by facilitating collaborative seminars and academic programmes across Assam’s colleges and universities. Key focus areas will include the improvement of educational standards, promotion and preservation of regional languages and literature, exploration of innovative research avenues, and connecting Assam’s academic community to global developments in knowledge, science, and technology.

“This is the first time in the Sabha’s history that such a robust academic framework involving three university Vice-Chancellors has been established,” said Dr Goswami.

Staff Correspondent