Kamal Kumari awards announced

Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 19 – The Kamal Kumari Foundation, a charitable trust of Assam, has announced the name of the recipients of the prestigious Kamal Kumari National Awards for the two categories: ‘Science and Technology’ and ‘Art, Culture and Literature’ for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. The recipients for Science and Technology are respectively – Prof Dhirendra Nath Burhagohain, Chief Technology Officer, Civil Engineering Network System, Pune, Prof Maqsood Siddiqi, Chief, Cancer Foundation of India, Kolkata, and Prof Bhupendra Nath Goswami, Director, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

For the category of Art, Culture and Literature the selection committee has chosen Hemanta Mishra, noted artist, Aribam Shyam Sharma, renowned film maker, and Rama Kanta Rath, noted poet and former Chairman, Sahitya Akademi.

The Foundation has also announced the names of the recipients of the Siva Prasad Barooah National Award for Journalism for the last three years: Prafulla Chandra Barua, Executive Trustee, Media Trust, Assam, Patricia Mukhim, Editor, Shillong Times, Shillong Amab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief, Times Now.

The above awards will be formally given away at a ceremony to be held at Guwahati, in June 2009. The awards consist of a citation, a memento and a cheque of Rs 2 lakh each. It may be mentioned that due to certain unavoidable circumstances, the above awards could not be presented in due time. However, the Foundation states, henceforth, efforts will be made to present the awards regularly every year.

The Kamal Kumari Foundation, set up in memory of Kamal Kumari Barooah, the remarkable matriarch of the Khongiya Barooah family of Thengal, has achieved acclaim for its charitable and constructive activities in the eastern region of the country. Instituted in 1990, by the Kamal Kumari Foundation, the Kamal Kumari National Awards seek to promote excellence in the fields of science and technology and cultural pursuits.

In 1999, the Foundation instituted the Siva Prasad Barooah National Award for Journalism, in memory of renowned planter, philanthropist, politician, humanist and publisher of Batori, the first daily newspaper in Assam, to promote news media excellence.

So far about fifty luminaries of the country in their respective fields of excellence have received this award. ASSAM TRIBUNE