USTM-Sahitya Sabha Scholarships Launched in Memory of 22 Former Sabha Presidents

03rd Feb, 2019 143

Asam Sahitya Sabha president Paramanada Rajbongshi, USTM Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque and former Sabha president Dr.Dhrubajyoti Borah launching USTM-Sahitya Sabha Scholarships at 10th special annual session of the Asam Sahitya Sabha at Jongal Balahu Samannya Khetra, Raha on February 3, 2019

Jongal Balahu Samannya Khetra, Raha, February 3, 2019: Amidst a sea of people at the concluding day of the 10th Annual Session of Asam Sahitya Sabhaat Raha today, the ERD Foundation, Guwahati in association with the Asam Sahitya Sabha launched 20 Scholarships for free education for undergraduate and post graduate courses and two Fellowships that lead to PhD at the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya. Instituted by ERD Foundation, the sponsoring organization of USTM, the scholarships and fellowships are in the memory of 22 prominent and progressive former Asam Sahitya Sabha Presidents.

Launching the scholarships, Mahbubul Hoque, Chairman of ERD Foundation and Chancellor of USTM said, “Keeping with our mission to help young meritorious students pursue higher education—who would not have been able to chase their cherished dream due to their poor economic background, the ERD Foundation, Guwahati has come up with these scholarships. Students availing these scholarships will be benefitted and will always remember the apax literary body of Assam and the invaluable contribution it has been making to the greater Assamese society”.

Addressing the gathering, Paramananda Rajbongshi, President of Asam Sahitya Sabha said that that by contributing to the protection of language and culture, USTM can assume a significant place among the universities of the world. He also said that Assam needs a language policy and support of the Government for the intellectual development of the region is very important. In September last year, USTM signed an MoU with Asam Sahitya Sabha with the objective to work together in the field of literature, culture, heritage, diversity and ethnicity in the north-eastern region and carry documentation and research work on indigenous languages.

The two PhD Fellowships are for research on the lives of two literary stalwarts of Assam—Dr.Maheswar Neog and Syed Abdul Malik. The PhD research fellowships will commence from the month of July. As the scholarships are meant for poor meritorious students, only below poverty line (BPL) who scored minimum 60% marks in their qualifying exams can apply. Notification will be released in newspaper and websites of USTM and Asam Sahitya Sabha in the month of April every year. A list will be prepared after submission of all the applications by a Selection Committee will compile the list based on merit and level of poverty. The names of the students will be decided by a Selection Committee comprised of representatives of Asam Sahitya Sabha and USTM.