GUWAHATI, July 5 - The University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) today honoured media personalities from the region, recognising their contributions in the field of news media in giving legitimacy to people�s voice and augmenting the role of media as the �fourth estate�.
The awards were conferred on the occasion of USTM PR Day-2018 at a function presided over by Prof Nirmal Kumar Chaudhury, former Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, at Hotel Landmark here.
The chief guest was former Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary. A number of mediapersons and dignitaries, including PJ Baruah, Executive Editor, The Assam Tribune, and Dr PK Goswami, VC, USTM, were present.
This year�s USTM Media Excellence Award went to four senior journalists � Zarir Hussain, Chief Managing Editor, News Live; Dileep Chandan, Editor, Asom Bani; Samudra Gupta Kashyap, veteran journalist and author, and Maini Mahanta, Editor, Nandini.
The USTM Media Achiever Award-2018 went to eight senior journalists from the region � Sujit Chakraborty, IANS, Tripura; Satyanarayan Misra, Dainik Purvoday; Imtiaz Ahmed, The Telegraph, Guwahati; Monmoromi Mahanta, Prag Channel; Mridul Haloi, Dainik Janambhumi; Aafaque Hussain, The Shillong Times; Tinakali Sumi, Nagaland Post and Evanjoplin Dkhar, Meghalaya Guardian, Shillong.
Delivering his keynote address on the �Role of Universities in Outreach Activities�, Manas Chaudhuri, managing director, The Shillong Times, said universities have immense responsibility in shaping the future of a generation through community engagement, public service and knowledge exchange, apart from its main areas of teaching and research.
Another keynote speaker on the occasion, Prasanta Rajguru, Editor, Amar Asom, in his lecture on the �Role of Universities in Socio-Political Awareness�, said educational institutions are temples of knowledge and universities being at the highest level of educational institutions, have a great deal of responsibility in creating social and political awareness among the people.
Addressing the gathering, Mooshahary said there are very few private universities that have seen such level of growth within a few years of their establishment as USTM experienced. Giving away the awards, Mooshahary said the media too has social responsibilities and it could play a positive or negative role in society. USTM Chancellor M Hoque spoke about the university�s progress.
