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Nava Thakuria to Receive Narad Jayanti Award

By AT News |

Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam has announced the annual Devarshi Narad Jayanti lecture programme, which will be held on Sunday, June 7, at Sudarshanalay in the Barbari area of Guwahati. The event will begin at 10:30 am.

Nationally acclaimed news presenter and Senior Advisor of the News Division at Delhi Doordarshan, Prakhar Shrivastava, will deliver the keynote lecture focusing on the life and contributions of Devarshi Narad, regarded as the world's first media professional.

On the occasion, senior journalist and editor of Ishan Darpan, Nava Thakuria, will be conferred the Devarshi Narad Jayanti Award 2026 in recognition of his long-standing contributions to journalism. Three working journalists—Lakhyajit Gohain of NKTV, Ranjita Rabha of Pratham Khabar, and Mridul Haloi of Dainik Asom—will also be felicitated.

Addressing the media, VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam said that the media plays a crucial role in keeping society informed and vigilant, while also holding authorities accountable in a democratic setup. He noted that Devarshi Narad performed a similar role in ancient times by spreading information and creating awareness across society. Inspired by this philosophy, VSK Assam has been observing Narad Jayanti annually and honouring distinguished media personalities.

Previous recipients of the Devarshi Narad Jayanti Award include noted journalists Dhirendra Nath Chakrabarty, Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah, Kanak Sen Deka, Mahendra Barua, Shashi Phukan, Anil Baruah, Gautam Sarma, Rupam Baruah, Prashant Jyoti Baruah and Shantanu Tamuli.

This year's awardee, Nava Thakuria, began his journalism career in 1990 with the Assamese daily Natun Dainik before moving to English-language journalism. His articles regularly appear in Ishan Darpan, The Statesman, TerraGreen, Indian Printer & Publisher, Scribes News, and several news portals. He is also a familiar face on television discussion programmes addressing contemporary issues.

Thakuria's journalistic work primarily focuses on socio-political, cultural and environmental developments across Northeast India and neighbouring regions, including Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar and Bangladesh. An alumnus of Assam Engineering College, he has received several fellowships and honours during his career. In 2021, he earned international recognition from the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign, becoming one of the first Indian journalists to receive the distinction.

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