Sadin-Pratidin Achiever Awards 2025: Honouring Those Who Shape Society

The Sadin-Pratidin Achiever Awards 2025 ceremony, a flagship event honouring exemplary contributions across diverse sectors, was held at the Birinchi Kumar Barua Auditorium, Gauhati University, with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as the chief guest. Organised annually by the Sadin–Pratidin Group, the awards recognise outstanding individuals and institutions from Assam and the Northeast for their remarkable achievements and transformative work.

The event began with the ceremonial lamp lighting and the felicitations of special guests, underscoring the cultural significance of the occasion.

Sadin–Pratidin Group Chairman and Editor of Asomiya Pratidin, Jayanta Baruah, welcomed the distinguished audience and explained that the awards, now in their 11th edition, continue to celebrate excellence across sectors, including art, culture, science, sports, healthcare, social service and journalism. Baruah underscored the group’s broader social vision, saying the Achiever Awards not only spotlight talent but also inspire responsibility and commitment to society.

Union Minister Scindia lauded the heritage of ethical journalism upheld by the Sadin-Pratidin Group, remarking on its national stature and rich legacy. He praised the Braille edition of the Hemkosh dictionary as a landmark contribution and highlighted Assam and the Northeast’s immense potential and talent. Scindia also spoke about India’s demographic strength, the energy of its youth, and the region’s role in the country’s growth story.

Lifetime and Literary Honours

The Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 was presented to eminent linguist, poet, lyricist and litterateur Dr Nahendra Padun, in recognition of his multifaceted contributions to literature, language, research and cultural studies. Dr Padun, whose work spans over 20 books, was honoured with a Seleng, gamusa, Eri Sador, a copy of Hemkosh, and a cheque of ₹1,11,111.

Celebrated novelist Polen Borkotoky received the Sadin Award for Journalism and Literature. A prolific writer with a career of nearly six decades, Borkotoky was felicitated with a gamusa, a citation and a cash prize of ₹55,555 for his contributions to Assamese literary discourse.

Sectoral Excellence Across Fields

The full list of awardees reflects a wide range of achievements:

• Jury Appreciation Awards were presented to brothers Indraneel and Kabyaneel Talukdar for revolutionising Assam’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with Aakhor, the state’s first Assamese speech-to-text application; and to entrepreneur Upamanyu Borkotoky for Woolah Tea, the world’s first bagless tea, which has modernised Assam’s traditional tea sector.
• Excellence in Environmental Conservation went to Manoj Gogoi for his lifelong, selfless commitment to protecting nature and reducing human–animal conflict in the region.
• Excellence in Science and Innovation was awarded to Dr Bismita Hazarika, an internationally acclaimed scientist working at the forefront of quantum computing, AI and 6G research.
• Excellence in Sports was conferred on cricketer Uma Chetry, a key member of the Indian women’s team that won the 2025 Cricket World Cup and secured gold at the 2022 Asian Games.
• The Corporate Excellence Award was received by Pradeep Purohit, COO of Star Cement Ltd and Chairman of CII, for his strategic leadership in the infrastructure sector.
• Excellence in Social Service was conferred on Karunadhara Trust, a humanitarian organisation supporting nearly 4,000 underprivileged individuals across Assam.
• Excellence in Art was awarded to sculptor and visual artist Biju Kumar Das for his artistic contributions, showcased nationally and internationally.
• Excellence in Healthcare went to Dr Surajit Giri for treating over 3,500 snakebite patients across Assam with zero fatalities.
• The Achiever Music Award was presented to iconic duo Jitu–Tapan for their prolific musical contributions across Assamese, Hindi and other film industries.
• The Achiever Cultural Award was won by legendary filmmaker Jahnu Barua, celebrated for his distinguished work in Assamese and Hindi cinema.
• Best Journalist Awards recognised outstanding media professionals from Asomiya Pratidin, Pratidin Digital and Pratidin Time, honouring excellence in reporting and technical contribution.

In his address, Padadhikar of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha, Bhabendra Nath Deka, praised Jayanta Baruah and the entire Pratidin Group for upholding the Assamese language and culture and hailed him for his contribution to Assamese public life.

The vice-chancellor of Gauhati University, Dr Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was felicitated by Pratidin Time Editor-in-Chief Nitumoni Saikia, also spoke on the occasion. He thanked the Sadin-Pratidin Group for choosing the university as the venue for the event and hailed the good work done by the group.

Bringing the itineraries of the day to a close, Pratidin Time Managing Director Smitakshi B Goswami delivered the vote of thanks. She thanked the distinguished guests, including Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Padadhikar of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha, Bhabendra Nath Deka. She also thanked all the award winners for their contribution in society and appreciated everyone present at the auditorium.