The Assam Government on January 24, awarded Lovlina Borgohain and 16 others, including Covid-19 warriors, artists, and agri-entrepreneurs, the state’s highest civilian honours.
Awards handed over by Assam Government:
The awards were handed over by Jagdish Mukhi at a function in the Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati in the presence of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. This is the first time that the Assam government has introduced a set of civilian awards.
Philanthropist and industrialist Ratan Naval Tata, who was named for the highest honour- Assam Baibhav-and management guru Dipak Chand Jain, who was named for Assam Saurav, the second-highest honour, could not attend the event.
Assam Saurav Award:
The Assam Saurav Award was given to educationist Professor Kamalendu Deb Krori, Dr Lakhsmanan S in the field of Public Service, Lovlina Borgohain for Sports and Neel Pawan Baruah in Art and Culture.
Assam Gaurav Award:
The Assam Gaurav Award was bestowed upon Munindra Nath Ngatey in the field of Public Service and Vaccination, Dr. Basanta Hazarika for Health and COVID Management, Akash Jyoti Gogoi in Poultry Farming, Manoj Kr. Basumatary in Piggery Farming, Khorsing Terang in Sports and Mountaineering, Bobby Hazarika for Women Entrepreneurship, Hemoprabha Chutia for Weaving, Namita Kalita in Health and Public Services, Bornita Momin in Public Service, Dharanidhar Boro for Wildlife Conservation, Kaushik Baruah for Agro Exporter and Entrepreneur, Kalpana Boro in Public Service and Dr Asif Iqbal in Health and Medicine.
About the awards:
The Assam Baibhav award carries Rs 5 lakh and a citation, the Assam Saurav award carries Rs 4 lakh and a citation, and the Assam Gaurav award carries cash Rs 3 lakh and a citation.
Government to launch portal:
CM Sarma said that from the next year, the government will launch a portal where people can propose the names of personalities for the civilian awards and also vote online. He also said that the Assam Baibhav would be handed over to Ratan Tata later in Mumbai.
Lovlina Borgohain:
Born on October 2, 1997 Lovlina Borgohain hails from Golaghat district in Assam. She is an Indian amateur boxer who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the women’s welterweight event, becoming only the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics. She also won bronze medal at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. She won the gold medal at 1st India Open International Boxing Tournament held in New Delhi and silver medal at 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament held in Guwahati. Borgohain is the first female athlete and the second boxer from Assam to represent the state in the Olympics.
Borgohain’s career’s biggest break came when she was selected to participate in the 2018 Commonwealth Games welterweight boxing category. However, her announcement was the subject of controversy after it was found out that she hadn’t received any official intimation about her selection.
Ratan Naval Tata:
Ratan Naval Tata was born on December 28, 1937. He is an Indian industrialist, philanthropist, and a former chairman of Tata Sons. He was also chairman of Tata Group, from 1990 to 2012, and again, as interim chairman, from October 2016 through February 2017, and continues to head its charitable trusts. He is the recipient of two of the highest civilian awards of India, the Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000).
Tata is a supporter of education, medicine and rural development, and considered a leading philanthropist in India. Tata supported University of New South Wales Faculty of Engineering to develop capacitive deionization to provide improved water for challenged areas.
He has served in various capacities in organizations in India and abroad. Besides, he is a member of the Prime Minister’s ‘Council on Trade and Industry’ and the ‘National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council’. He is on the jury panel of Pritzker Architecture Prize.
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