Guwahati: Commemorating 12 years of its glorious journey, Assam down town University observed its 13th Foundation Day in the presence of its students, officials, faculty members, and a host of dignitaries on Thursday.
The programme commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony of the university flag by the Dean of Studies Prof. Bandana Dutta and the vice-chancellor of AdtU, which was followed by the singing of the university anthem. The national anthems of 6 countries namely India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and South Korea were sung by the students from the respective countries.
Located at Panikhaiti, Chandrapur, Assam down town University is one of the leading universities in the Northeast promoted by the down town Charity Trust.
The multi-disciplinary university was established in the year 2010 to respond to the need for academic excellence at an affordable cost for the people of the Northeastern region.
For the past twelve years, the university has successfully served as the gateway for the professional and personal development of students not only from the Northeastern region but also from the rest of India and the neighbouring countries.
It offers diploma, graduate, and postgraduate degrees in more than 60 disciplines with the active involvement of more than 250 teaching faculty, which comprises an eclectic mix of both dynamic young faculty members and experienced senior faculty members in all its study programmes.
The university has emerged as the leading centre of teaching and research, offering PhD in different disciplines. Currently, students of 5 different nations are residing here for furthering their academic goals.
The Founder Vice-Chancellor of AdtU, Prof (Dr.) Nandita Choudhury, also graced the occasion. She was felicitated by chairperson of the organising committee Dr. Seema Sharma.
A borgeet recital was held after which the chief guest Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Education Advisor to the Government of Assam, was felicitated by Chancellor Dr. N.N. Dutta.
Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, during his address, spoke about the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the importance of its implementation.
According to him, the new education policy aims to remove the strict compartmentalisation of subjects so that students get the liberty to select and study the subjects that they are curious about and want to learn more about, thus aligning with their line of interest.
According to him, education has 4 main objectives: to know, to do, to be, and to live together. He emphasised that the final outcome of education should be to equip students with basic life skills.
He also highlighted the fact that educators, teachers, and faculty have a significant role to play in understanding their students and in providing the tools so that they are able to reach their full potential.
He appealed to the academic fraternity to go beyond marks and degrees, and support the all-around development of students so that they are equipped with the tools to face all challenges of life. He described each student as a “Jiban Brixha” (a tree) that has two parts, the root that represents the foundation and the trunk that represents the mind and body.
The chief guest and the dignitaries presented certificates and cash prizes to the awardees under various categories. The top 3 award categories were the Best Researcher Award which was conferred on Dr Manash Pratim Pathak (Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Science), Best Teacher in Responding and Executing Task (BTRET) Award was presented to Dr. Saikat Sen (Professor, Pharmaceutical Science), and the Best Innovator Award was presented to Dr. Sunandan Baruah (Dean of Research & Innovation).
Several other awards were also distributed namely Best Faculty of Studies Award, Award for Most Constructive Suggestions/Maximum Suggestions for AdtU’s All-round development and Best Supporting Staff Award.
The awards for the Faculty of the Month, Student of the Month, and Alumni of the Month were also presented.
A cultural programme comprising dances that displayed the rich cultural heritage of India and the Northeast was also organised as part of the event.
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