Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Award to Teachers 2026 to Professor Ankuran Dutta on Saturday at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Dutta heads the Department of Communication and Journalism at Gauhati University. He is the only higher education recipient from the social sciences discipline among 21 honorees. He is the first media educator to receive this prize. He also holds the distinction of being the first professor from Assam to win in the higher education category since the award started in 2023.
A jury picked the winners from 1,700 candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the group on September 4. Education Minister Prahlad Joshi and Ministers of State Jayant Chaudhary and Sukanta Majumdar also felicitated the winner. Dutta said his work was inspired by his parents: "Dutta has dedicated the honour to his late wife, Dr Anamika Ray, and said his work was inspired by his parents, who were also award-winning teachers."
Dutta recently finished a diplomatic post in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he served as First Secretary and Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre from December 2022 to January 2026. He brings nearly 20 years of experience to the table. He launched the region’s first community radio station in 2009. He also built the media centre at Cotton College and founded the Bhupen Hazarika School of Mass Communication at Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University.
His work spans global partnerships. He has collaborated with groups like UNICEF, UNESCO, and the European Union. He also produced digital health resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the nationally distributed COVID Katha. His research output includes 19 books and 12 edited volumes. On September 7, the Vice-President of India will release his latest project, Bhupen Hazarika: Hundred Years of a Wandering Song, co-edited with Vice-Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta.
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