Gauhati University Professor Nominated For National Award

GUWAHATI: Dr. Ankuran Dutta, Head of the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University has been awarded the National Award for Science and Technology Communication, 2018. The award is conferred annually by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India to individuals or institutions for outstanding contribution in the field of science and technology communication and promoting scientific temper which has created significant impact in the country during the last five years.

Dr Dutta is the first Assamese science communicator in the region who has been conferred with the award under the category of National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in the Electronic Medium for his consistent and collective promotion of science, technology, risk and health communication through community radio in India and other South Asian countries for decades.

"The awards will be conferred under the six categories of National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in General (None found suitable), National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication through Print Media including Books and Magazines (Jointly Dr Huidrom Birkumar Singh and Sh Munindra Kumar Mazumdar from Assam and Prof Manasi Goswami from Odisha), National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Popularization among Children (Jointly Rural Agricultural Development Society of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Raj Kumar and Dr Zakir Ali Rajneesh both from Uttar Pradesh), National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Translation of Popular Science & Technology Literature in languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India and in English (Prof Manish Ratnakar Joshi from Maharastra), National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication through Innovative and Traditional methods (Jointly Dr. Brij Mohan Sharma from Uttarakhand and Dr. Sunita Jhala from Rajasthan)", the DST website stated.

The award will be presented by the Union Minister of Science and Technology in New Delhi at Jawaharlal Nehru University on February 28 on the occasion of National Science Day celebration.

It is to be noted that Dr Dutta from Assam is the first ever in the Northeastern region to get nominated under the category of National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in the Electronic Medium. Prior to him, Assam Science Society (1990), eminent science communicators like Dr Dinesh Ch Goswami (1997), Dr Bijoy Krishna Dev Sarma (1998), Kshirodhar Barua (2008), Dr Santanoo Tamuly (2010), Arpan Dutta (2011), Dr Ramesh Ch Goswami (2014), Dr Abhijit Sarma Barua (2014), Dr Dilip Kumar Sarma (2017) from Assam were conferred with the Award.

The award will carry a citation, a memento and cash award of Rupees two lakh. “This nomination has been very inspiring for me and I feel the cash prize will be donated to Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust (ARMT) for undertaking science communication research and practice in the field of community radio and among the students of communication, commemorating the contribution of Dr Anamika Ray to the domain of science communication education in Assam", said Dr Dutta, Managing Trustee of ARMT.

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