Guwahati: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu conferred upon the prestigious Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award for National Integration and Contribution for the year 2021 to an eminent writer, scholar Dr. Nirode Kumar Barooah, Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, Assam Branch and Shillong Chamber Choir, Meghalaya in the presence of Governor of Assam Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma in a programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati on Sunday (October 3).
The Government of Assam instituted the award in the memory of the first Chief Minister of Assam Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi. The award is bestowed upon institutions and individuals from diverse fields in honour of their exemplary contribution towards national integration. The award carries a cash reward of Rs. 5.00 lakh, a citation and a shawl.
Germany-based writer-scholar Dr. Nirode K. Barooah, alumni of Cotton College, Guwahati and University of Banaras, taught modern history at the University of Delhi. He published several books and research paper on the Indian Freedom Movement with particular reference to Assam. He wrote several books both in English and Assamese language on historical themes. Barooah, who obtained a Dr. Phil. degree from the University of Bonn in 1975, had also been a member of the Association of the Foreign Press in Germany for some time.
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi founded Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, Assam Branch on January 9, 1946. The Trust initiated huge efforts to forge national integration and promote the ideals of non-violent resistance. The Trust has been contributing immensely to the empowerment of women.
Shillong Chamber Choir is an Indian chamber choir based in Shillong, Meghalaya, that was founded in 2001. It has performed on several national and international platforms and received much acclaim. Notable achievements of the choir include its performance at President Pratibha Patil's presidential banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 8, for the U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, during their November 2010 state visit to India.
Earlier in the day, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a PET-MRI Wing at State Cancer Institute, Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, in the presence of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. The state of the art wing has been set up with a total project cost of Rs 62 crores. This is India's 4th such PET- MRI machine installed at a Govt sector hospital equipped with 'Time of Flight' tech. This machine is faster than PET-CT and essential for advanced cancer research activities. After this, Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is in Guwahati as part of his North-East tour, inaugurated Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority is building the Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre, dedicated to the spirit and legacy of the majestic Brahmaputra in Guwahati city.
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