Prabha Varma

The Saraswathi Samman Awardee Prabha Varma is a multi-faceted littérateur who has published more than forty books including fourteen collections of poems, four novels in verse and three novels. Many of his works have been translated into various Indian and foreign languages. He has a master’s degree and a degree in law. His poems reflect a confluence of tradition and modernity. An Academy award-winning Indian poet, Prabha Varma has also won ‘Rajath Kamal’, the National Film Award for the best lyricist. He has written many padams for Mohiniyattam, a classical dance form of Kerala, and dozens of classical krithis for music concerts. He has excelled as a media person too and presently serves as the Media Advisor to the Chief Minister of Kerala.

Mitra Phukan

Mitra Phukan is an award-winning writer, translator, columnist, and trained Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet vocalist. She is the author of eighteen published books, including children’s literature, biographies—among them a notable biography of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika—three acclaimed novels, and a collection of short stories titled “A Full Night’s Thievery”. A major voice in contemporary Assamese literature, she has translated several leading Assamese authors into English. Her popular column “All Things Considered” in The Assam Tribune enjoys a wide readership, and she writes frequently on Indian classical music. Mitra Phukan’s works have been extensively anthologized and translated, and her fiction is taught in colleges and universities across India, inspiring a rich body of critical and scholarly engagement.

Vijaya Thakur

Vijaya Thakur, born in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, is a nationally recognised educator honoured with the Best Teacher Award. Alongside her distinguished career in teaching, she is also a noted poet and translator. Known for her significant contribution to Dogri literature, she has also shown a deep inclination towards writing poetry in Hindi. Her Dogri poetry collection “Ki Ye” has been published by Channi Press. She has translated Arun Kamal’s celebrated poetry collection “Naye Ilake Mein” into Dogri under the title “Naame Laake Cha”, and has rendered numerous stories and poems into Dogri for the Sahitya Akademi. Retired as an Assistant Professor from SCERT, Jammu, she continues to remain active in cultural and literary circles and serves as the Jammu and Kashmir State In-charge for Yuganugunj, an international literary and cultural organisation.

Khajur Singh Thakur

Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Khajoor Singh Thakur is a poet, writer, critic, and translator. He is an eminent name among the folk artists writing in the Dogri language. He has published over fourteen books, and his poetry collections include “Kainth Kakohe”, “Rehl Behl Relnu”, “Beeba Painshi”, and “Kittar–Kittar Kalja”, among others. A recipient of the President’s Best Teacher Award, he has dedicated himself both to literature and education. He is also a member of the advisory committee of Dogri language in Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, contributing to the promotion and preservation of Dogri literature at the national level.

Dr. Thin Thin Aye

Dr. Thin Thin Aye is Professor and Head of the Department of History at the University of Yangon, Myanmar. She holds a BA (Hons), MA, and PhD in History from the University of Yangon, along with a Diploma in International Relations and Development Studies from a joint program of Johns Hopkins University and Chung Ang University. Her research focuses on Governance and Development Studies, particularly Myanmar’s governance systems. She has published widely in academic journals and plays a key role in curriculum development, serving as Chair of the History Curriculum Team and Board of Studies. She also supervises MA and PhD research and teaches Contemporary Myanmar History.

Jhini Paarin & JLTR

JLTR — Jhini Learns To Rock — is the brainchild of renowned bass guitarist and music producer Paapu Leftybass. His Assamese book, Journey of a Musician, was one of the bestselling titles of 2021. Jhini Paarin, his daughter, is passionate about Western music and is also learning to play the bass guitar. Legendary pop icon Sir Michael Jackson serves as her greatest inspiration. She also adores another legend, Zubeen Garg, and dreams of carrying his legacy to every corner of the world. The band JLTR features Paapu along with several of his musician friends, coming together to create and share music across genres.

Baba

Baba is a multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter and producer known for pushing the boundaries of the music industries with his style and creative vision. Baba developed a passion for music early on. He began playing various instruments and experimenting with different musical styles, eventually forming signature sound blending multiple genres. Over the years, Baba has released several critically acclaimed albums and singles under various artist names that have gained immense popularity among fans critics alike. Now, Baba has started his solo singer songwriter journey with new single charting at #1 in the US Pop charts.

Lapit Ole njapit

Also commonly known as olaji, Lapit Ole Njapit is a Kenyan musician and public figure, known for creating and performing music, often in a style that is promoted on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. He is known for performing in community events, such as the inauguration of Rianta School, to support the Education. His recent musical release is a song titled OLOONKISHU

Divyalata Dutta

Dibyalata Dutta was born in Margherita- a small town in Upper Assam with Tea Gardens spread all around. After studying at Margherita Higher Secondary School, Tinsukia, she went to college to pursue a degree. As a child, she had a passion for books. She has published over twenty-five books as of today. Lakshadhar Choudhury amidst the Epistles, Tanja Manfan, The stories of the Reras, Margherita, etc. are a few of her published books. Her anthology of a Hundred and One Tribal tales was translated from Assamese to English by Gauhati University. She is the recipient of the Bantabahan-Yadu Borpujari Souvenir Prajna Award, Assam Bhasha Gourab Scheme, and North East Mirror Special Award 2023. She has received the Special Honour from the Purvanchal, a leading Publication Group of Assam. She has also been awarded the Hiyar Ramdhenu Children’s Literature Award.

Rishi Barua

Born in 1958 at Calcutta, Rishi Barua hails from Gauripur, Assam. He completed his post graduation in Fine Arts in 1987 from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, specializing in Sculpture. He started his career as a designer and advertising professional and finally joined his alma mater- Visva-Bharati University as a faculty member in the Department of Sculpture. Over the years he has participated in numerous art exhibitions and workshops, both nationally and internationally. He was invited as an international artist in places like Shanghai and Beijing in China, and in five Universities in Thailand and Bangladesh. He is also the recipient of several awards in Sculpture and design. He retired as a faculty in 2023. Currently, he resides and works in Kolkata.

Manalisha Chankija

Journalist-poet Tiamerenla Monalisa Changkija is the only woman Editor, Proprietor, and Publisher of an English daily, Nagaland Page, in the Northeast (1999–2024). She received the Chameli Devi Jain Award (2009), Nagaland Governor’s Award for Literature (2013), FICCI Women Achiever Award (2013–14), and the Kalyan Barooah Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism (2025). Her poetry, including volumes Weapons of Words of Pages of Pain (1993) and Monsoon Mourning (2007), is taught across universities in Nagaland and Assam, with numerous MA, M.Phil., and Ph.D. theses dedicated to her work. She has also published non-fiction and literary compilations, contributing extensively to regional, national, and international literature.

Dinkar kumar

Dinkar Kumar has been a towering figure in Indian literature, journalism, and translation. With an illustrious career spanning 36 years, he has authored more than 150 books, translated 70 works, from Assamese to Hindi, and contributed significantly to journalism and scriptwriting. One of Kumar’s the most significant contributions are his work as a translator. By translating 70 books from Assamese to Hindi, he has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Assamese literature among Hindi-speaking readers and fostering cross-cultural dialogue between Assam and the rest of India. His translations have made regional literary gems accessible to a wider audience. His efforts in translation have earned him the Anuvaad Shri Samman, a testament to his dedication to linguistic harmony.

Utpal Baruah

Dr. Suresh Rituparna

Dr. Suresh Rituparna born on 12th July, 1949 is a writer, poet, playwright, photographer and traveller. He is currently the Director of K.K. Birla Foundation, Ex- member General Council of Academy of Letters (Sahitya Akademi), India and also Member of the Hindi Advisory Committee of Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi. At present, he is the Director of K.K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi. Dr. Rituparna has published over 25 books, including the most recently Published Ekehari Nahin Hai Paani Ki Kahani, a collection of poems. Apart from this he has also published Japan Ki Lok Kathayein, Japan main Hindi Shikshan ki parampara, Ekkis Japani Lok-Kathayen, Hiroshima ki Yaad Evam Anya Kavitayen and its translation in English, Japanese, Assamese, Konkani, Tamil, Gujarati and Bangla. He has also published a unique collection of poems with his own colour photographs co-ordinating with poems, entitled, ‘Kal Jab Main Nahin Rahunga’ (When tomorrow I will not be there). He has presided, chaired, organized and participated in many literary conferences in India and Abroad, seminars, conducted workshops and presented papers on literary aspects of languages, literature, and socio-economic issues in India and Abroad.

Arup Kumar Dutta

Padma Shri Shri Arup Kumar Dutta is an internationally acclaimed author, journalist, and social commentator from Assam, regarded as a pioneer of English-language writing in Northeast India. Over five decades, he has authored 40 books including The Anagarika’s Swansong (2009), The Bag (2018), The Brahmaputra (2001), Unicornis (1991), Cha Garam – The Tea Story (2001), The Roving Minstrel (2002), The Ahoms (2022), Saint; Saviour; Soul; Society (2024), The Kaziranga Trail (1978), and The Blind Witness (1983). His works span fiction, non-fiction, adventure writing, and satire. He has received the Padma Shri (2018), honorary D.Litt. degrees from Dibrugarh and Gauhati Universities, and the Madhavdev Award (2022)

Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi

Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi is an eminent multi-lingual writer and translator writing in Assamese, English and also Hindi. He had written 19 books that included novels, short stories, dramas, folk tales, Children’s writings, travelogue, biography, autobiography and ethnography, news paper columns and translated books from English, Sanskrit and Hindi into Assamese and from Assamese into English. His books have been translated into several languages and taught in universities, colleges and school. He has received twenty-seven literary and other awards including Sahitya Akademi Award for his Assamese Novel Maun Outh Mukhar Hriday, Bhasha Bharati Award from CIIL Mysore, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Award, Pune, Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Award, Prayagraj, Assam Valley Literary Award, Assam Publication Board Award, Honorary Doctorate from Dibrugarh University and The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati Kalaguru Bishnu Rava Award from Assam Sahitya Sabha. Sukhapaha Award from Assam Government and the Padmashri from the Government of India. Three of his novels were made into President’s Rajat Kamal award winning feature films.

Daniel-Levente Pal

Pál Dániel Levente has authored eight books in Hungarian, and works of his have been translated into more than 20 languages. He cofounded and served as deputy editor-in-chief of the art magazine and publishing house PRAE. He was also the editor-in-chief of ELTE University Press, and served as a managing director of the Hungarian Petőfi Cultural Agency & Literary Fund, where he was executive director of the English-language Continental Literary Magazine. He spent a decade as a performer and director at various independent theater and performing arts groups. He is currently the dramaturg & show writer & librettist at the Capital Circus of Budapest – where he has contributed to more than 60 productions, including work for the Budapest International Circus Festival –, and dramaturg for theatrical concerts of the Gödöllő Symphony Orchestra. He is a frequent guest at international literary and poetry festivals, as well as academic conferences. He has received numerous literary, artistic, and professional awards in Hungary, Brazil, France, Romania, Serbia, Azerbaijan, and the United States.

Shri Hansraj Ramkissoon

Shri Hansraj Ramkissoon is a renowned singer, composer, dancer, and percussionist with an international career spanning over 60 years. He is acclaimed for all genres of Indo-Caribbean music and dance, with prestigious performances and award-winning music. He has also been recognized for contributions to Indo-Caribbean folk music, bhajans, chutney, and dance. Shri Hansraj is the winner of first South Florida singing competition and National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) National Competition for Drumming. He received the Award for Best Local Song, National Award for Excellence in the Arts, Trinidad and Tobago in 1983. In 2005, he was honoured with the Hall of Fame Induction – Radio 103.5 Trinidad and Tobago.

Jana Bednarova

Jana Bednarova from Slovakia is a prominent visual artist who practices art which is inspired from the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world. Working with handwoven silk and natural pigments drawn from the Assamese miniature tradition, she approaches painting as an ecological process—one that grows from the land, collaborates with living systems, and archives the quiet intelligence of the environments she inhabits. For the past decade, she has worked in the wild jungles of North-East India, interested in a “portrait of symbiosis,” where botanical forms, environmental conditions, and cultural histories meet and reshape one another. Her current work focuses on the life of orchids and their symbiotic relationships within wild ecosystems. I aim to document the journey of the orchid from the jungle to the urban world and to explore the new relationships this plant forms within urban environments

L. Somi Roy

L. Somi Roy is the author of And That Is Why: Manipuri Myths Retold; its sequel, with co-author Dr. Thangjam Hindustani Devi, Feathers, Fools and Farts: Manipuri Folktales Retold, both for Penguin Random House India; and M.K. Binodini Devi, a monograph for Sahitya Akademi’s Makers of Indian Literature series. He is a translator of the works of M.K. Binodini Devi from the Manipuri into English. They include The Princess and the Political Agent (Penguin Modern Classics, 2020), The Maharaja's Household: A Daughter's Memories of Her Father (Zubaan, 2015), and Crimson Rainclouds (Thema, 2012). He is the Founder and Managing Trustee of Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation in Imphal.

Dr. Pattipaka Mohan

Dr Pattipaka Mohan is a poet, writer, critic, translator, anchor and children litterateur and has pioneered to organize creative writing workshops for children and children’s writers. He holds a Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Osmania University in Telugu literature (Topic: Ghazal Tradition in Telugu: A Critical Review). Currently he works as the Southern Regional Officer In charge and Asst. Editor (Telugu) at National Book Trust, India (Ministry of Education, Government of India) Bangalore. Children Literature (51). He also worked as Editor for Telangana State Government Telugu text books for classes 2 to 5th. His writings have been included in Maharashtra and other Telugu Text books for class 2 and 3. Some of his significant works in children literature are ‘Pillalakosam Mana Kavulu’, ‘Chandamama Rave’, ‘Vennamuddalu’, ‘Akupachani Paata’ (songs on Swach Sarvekshan), ‘Aa... Aa... Ee... Ee’ (nonsense rhymes in Telugu), Pattipaka Mohan won First Andhra Pradesh State Youth Award in Literature (1997), Telugu University ‘Keerthi Puraskaram’ (2009) for creative writings and Telugu University ‘Balasahitya Puraskar’ (2011). He has also won the Shakuntala Jaini First Children Literature Award’. His children literature translated into Hindi, English, Kannada, Odia and Nepali.

Arun Arora

Arun Arora, head of Chetak Foundation is veteran Communications, ESG, Sustainability and CSR professional. Arun is a Mechanical Engineer, with an MBA and has additional qualifications in Journalism and Hotel Management. He has rich experience of about four decades in various companies including Escorts, Maruti Suzuki, GMR Delhi Airport JSPL, GVK, Cairn Oil & Gas and Vedanta and Chetak Group. Arun worked on massive road safety awareness projects for children at Maruti. He supported GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, GVK's EMRI and various CSR initiatives of JSPL, Cairn and Vedanta. At Chetak Foundation, his focus is to improve quality of life of underprivileged truck drivers through Health, Education and Road Safety interventions. The Foundation aspires to touch lives of a million truck drivers by 2030. Arun is an author and a columnist. He teaches communication, CSR, ESG, Innovation and entrepreneurship at prestigious universities.

Niranjan Dev Bhardwaj

Niranjan Dev Bhardwaj is a young Indian environmentalist, author, and international speaker, currently working on issues related to environment, climate change, literature, ethics, and human rights. He holds a Master’s degree in Environment, Development, and Peace, with a specialization in Climate Change, from the University for Peace, Costa Rica—the only United Nations–mandated university in the world. His books Environmental Ethics and India’s Perspective on Environment and Environmental Renaissance have been published by the National Book Trust, Ministry of Education, Government of India. My third book, A to Z of Environmental Protection and Climate Action, is forthcoming from NBT and is scheduled to be launched at the World Book Fair, New Delhi, in 2026. Over the years, he has spoken on environmental and climate-related issues across India, and across the globe, including platforms such as the European Parliament (World Forum of Democracy, Strasbourg). He also holds the distinction of being the only TEDx Speaker globally to have delivered half a dozen TEDx talks exclusively on environment and climate change, and he has been recognized with the world record for the most TED talks on environment and climate change by the London Book of World Records.

Temjen Imna Along

Anindita Dasgupta

Anindita Dasgupta is Associate Professor of History at Taylor's University, Malaysia and Book Review Editor of Millennial Asia: An International Journal of Asian Scholars. She has pioneered studies on oral history of Sylhet's partition, and has published well-received articles on the topic. She has won several international grants and fellowships, and has been Visiting Fellow at the National University of Malaysia and the Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Malaysia.

Deepankar Gohain

Deepankar Gohain is a visual artist and a farmer from Dibrugarh, Assam, whose practice is rooted in agriculture and community life. Trained in Painting at Assam Central University, Art History and Criticism at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and a Sarai Fellow for City as Studio (CSDS, 2010), his art engages with agroecology, rural livelihoods, and community food systems. He completed his debut documentary film The Land of the Golden Seeds (2023) and founded the Soil Collective Foundation (section8 company), a natural farming space and art-and-craft studio in Dihing Kinar Naga Nocte Village, Naharkatia, Assam, dedicated to soil conservation and indigenous ways of living.

Dr. Shashank Shekhar Sinha

Dr. Shashank Shekhar Sinha is an author, historian, and publisher with over three decades of professional experience. He currently serves as Publishing Director, Routledge (South Asia), Taylor & Francis Group, United Kingdom. His He has authored the Casting the Buddha: A Monumental History of Buddhism in India (Pan Macmillan, 2024); Gender in Modern India: History, Culture, Marginality (Oxford University Press, UK, 2024; co-edited); and Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri: Monuments, Cities and Connected Histories (Pan Macmillan, 2021). He has written a series of articles on UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Frontline and continues to appear on television programs on history and heritage on channels such as NDTV 24x7, Aaj Tak, Lallantop, Rajya Sabha TV, News18, and Global Journalist (University of Missouri).

Dr. Ganga Kumar

Dr. Ganga Kumar is a career bureaucrat and social activist. He is deeply committed to cultural preservation and promotion. An M.Phil. from the University of Delhi and a gold medalist in post-graduation, he has made significant contributions to heritage preservation in Bihar. He has authored the four-volume series Bihar Ke Sanskritik Dharohar, along with Kalpvirksh and Kalaazar Menace in Bihar, addressing cultural heritage and public health challenges. He has received over 10 state and national-level awards, including the Viswesaraiya Memorial Award, for his outstanding work in engineering, art, and culture. He is festival director of Nalanda Literature Festival and also associated with various cultural organisations such as Centre for Indian Classical Dances; BIhar; Ek Virassat; Bodhgaya Biennale.

Dr. Rubul Mout

Dr. Rubul Mout is a scientist at Harvard University, a bestselling author, and a social activist. Trained in India and the United States, he earned his PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was a Washington Research Foundation Innovation Fellow at the University of Washington, where he worked with Dr. David Baker, and his research contributed to Dr. Baker’s 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His research integrates computational protein design and immunology to enhance T-cell development and function for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infections. Dr. Mout has authored 40 publications (publishing in Cell, Nature, PNAS, ACS Nano, etc), holds multiple patents, and authored two books in Assamese. He is the founder of Uplift Libraries and Sunday Science Activism; initiatives focused on science education.

Najma Mukherjee

Najma Mukherjee is an Assamese-language author, poet, editor, and translator. Her books span genres including short stories, novels, essays, satire, creative non-fiction, and experimental writing. Her much-loved work Pop Axomiya is a sharp satire on the evolving Assamese language, which later transforms into a fantasy envisioning a futuristic Assamese society. Her latest novel Chinaki Chuburi offers a rare and nuanced representation of intersex identity. Appreciated for its postmodernist form and pluralistic gaze, the novel challenges heteronormative patriarchal frameworks. Born an Assamese Muslim woman married to a Bengali Hindu man, she carries an oxymoronic name. Najma’s work engages with queerness, marginalised narratives, mental health, and posthumanism. She is a retired professor from the Department of Assamese, Cotton University

Reema Borah

Reema Borah is an Indian writer, director, and educator. She holds a master’s degree in Performing Arts (Theatre) from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and a postgraduate diploma in Film Direction from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Reema’s early academic works gained international recognition, with her short films being showcased at renowned festivals like Clermont-Ferrand and Camerimage. Notably, her short film "Their Story" won the Kodak Film School Competition Award in 2005, and "Echoes of Silence" earned the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (Non-Feature Film) by Zubeen Garg in 2009. Since 2012, Reema has been actively teaching and conducting workshops at prestigious film institutions across India, including the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Mumbai University.

Dr. Junjun Sharma Pathak

Dr. Junjun Sharma Pathak is the Head of Operations at India’s World magazine and a regular contributor on international affairs. She holds a PhD in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Prior to joining India’s World, she served as an Assistant Professor at Amity University and taught at Guwahati University and Rashtriya Raksha University in the School of Internal Security and Defence. Her research interest includes India's Northern region and borderlands with particular emphasis on the India- China territorial dispute in Arunachal Pradesh, cross-border migration and ethnic conflict in Assam.

Sanjib Bordoloi

Sanjib Bordoloi is an alumnus of Sainik School, Goalpara and the National Defence Academy. After having joined the IAF, he served for 33 years as a fighter pilot flying mainly the Sukhoi 7, the Mig 23 and the Mig 21 aircrafts. Commanded a fighter squadron and two air bases. He also served as the Flying Instructor in Air Force Flying training institutes and also as a faculty of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamilnadu. He has been awarded the Ati Vishistha Sewa Medal by the President in 2006 for Disaster Relief Operations in Kashmir. He has flown a variety of Civil airplanes for 12 years while trying to promote Civil Aviation in the North East. Currently, he is focussed on healing the traumatised societies of the North East. Inculcate qualities of Leadership and Entrepreneurial spirit in our youth and nudge them towards the Defence Services and the Aviation sector.

Sachin Gogoi

Sachin Gogoi is an Editorial Lead with the BBC’s Delhi bureau, where he leads a team of journalists in covering security, international relations and geopolitical developments across the Asia-Pacific region. He occasionally appears on BBC's television and radio platforms to explain developments in India and South Asia. From 2006 to 2019, he had served as a media specialist at the American Embassy in Delhi. At the time of his departure from there, he was working as the Chief Media Specialist for India. Along with many service awards during his tenure, he won a US Government service plaque for honourable service. Earlier, he had worked as a journalist with national news agencies PTI, IANS and UNI. Despite doing his journalism in English language, Sachin often writes thought-provoking commentaries on various Assamese-language dailies

Ditimoni Gogoi

Ditimoni Gogoi is a passionate reader, a student of English Literature and a prominent Assamese writer, translator, and Special Officer heading the Translation Wing at Gauhati High Court. Author of nine books, her translations include Paul Dunbar: Ejon Negro Kobir Jibangatha (from The Dunbar Boy), Moi Malalai Koisu (from I Am Malala, Students Stores), Dharmar Urdhat (from Dalai Lama's Beyond Religion, Lawyers Book Stall), and Uroni Gusai (from Ismat Chugtai's Lifting the Veil, Pragya Mediahype). She is the Chief Translator & Editor of the Assamese editions of the prestigious works Courts of India: Past to Present and Gauhati High Court: History and Heritage. Her creative works include Xare Asane Jonaki Poruwa (short stories), Sankhaninad (poetry), and Jada Jada Dharmasya (myths). Career guide: Interviewet Xafal hobo Kenekoi. Article: Jivan aru Swasthya. Her writings embody humanitarian values rooted in tradition.

Dr. Jayashree Das

Dr. Jayashree Das is a RCI licensed Clinical Psychologist. She has done her MPhil in Clinical Psychology from LGBRIMH, Tezpur. She has completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology and has done her doctoral work in Social- Emotional Learning Skills on children and adolescents. Currently, she practises at Psychiatric Clinic, Guwahati and is also a visiting Consultant at the Health City Superspeciality Hospital. She is attached to Maria's Public School, Guwahati as a visiting Clinical Psychologist. With over thirteen years of experience, she provides patients with innovative treatment to navigate psychological struggles. She is a columnist writing mainly on mental health and responds to questions on a column called 'Mind Mirror' of Assam Tribune newspaper. She is the Secretary of the trust called MonNiramoy. Through MonNiramoy , she visits remote villages of Assam to spread awareness on mental health, to psychoeducate the people on various mental health disorders and is working for the promotion of positive mental

Dr. Samujjal Saharia

Dr. Samujjal Saharia is a Zoologist, Educator, and Wildlife Researcher from Assam with a strong commitment to science, conservation, and nurturing young minds. He holds a PhD in Zoology from Gauhati University, where his research focused on the spatial ecology and conservation of lesser cats in the rapidly urbanizing Greater Guwahati landscape. With over 11 years of teaching experience, he has mentored numerous students for competitive examinations, many of whom have secured admissions to premier institutions. Deeply passionate about teaching and intellectual curiosity, his work bridges academic research, wildlife conservation, education, and public engagement, reflecting a thoughtful pursuit of knowledge and meaningful living.

Arupjyoti Saikia

Arupjyoti Saikia is a professor of history at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He held the Agrarian Studies Programme Fellowship at Yale University, and a visiting fellow positions at Cambridge University, University of London and University of Calcutta. His published works include Forest and Ecological History of Assam, 1826–2000 AD (OUP, 2011); A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam since 2000 (Routledge, 2014); The Unquiet River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra (OUP, 2019); The Quest for Modern Assam: A History: 1942–2000 (Penguin, 2023) and India's Forests: Revisiting Nature and History (Penguin, forthcoming, coedited with Mahesh Rangarajan). The Unquiet River was short-listed for Kamala Devi Chattopadhayay Book Award in 2020 and long listed for Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize in 2020 and got 'Honorable Mention' for Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize in 2021 given by the Association of Asian Studies.

D. Aaliya

Ms. D. Aaliya is a successful women entrepreneur and social activist of Bihar. She is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of art and culture. She is committed to empower marginalised communities, especially women and children. As the Managing Trustee of Dhanu Bihar and Shining Muskan Foundation, she plays a crucial role in implementing various welfare programs aimed at education, healthcare, rural development, and cultural preservation. Under her leadership, Dhanu Bihar has expanded its reach, ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, has access to the necessary resources for a better future. Her vision continues to drive the organisation towards sustainable growth, inclusivity, and long term social transformation. At present, she is festival chairperson of Nalanda Literature Festival

Sanghamitra Das

Sanghamitra Das stays and has been working in the Santiniketan as a freelance Painter and Baul singer for the last four decades. She has exhibited her paintings in Group show in Sharjan Art Gallery in Baroda,2006. Annual shows in Bila Academy of Art, Kolkata,2008 and 2009. She has participated in Art Workshop in Rajamangala University and Naresuana University in Thailand,2012 and exhibited her paintings in an Art Gallery of Srilanka in 2013. She has curated shows in Asian Art Biennale, Shilpokala Art Gallery, Bangladesh in 2018 and 2022. She has also been a participant among the SSVAD members' group show in Kalakshetra Art Gallery Gauhati,2024 and in the artist Residency in Mat Dot Art Centre in Bankok, Thailand,2024.

Sibaprasad Karchaudhuri

Sibaprasad Karchaudhuri graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, in 1966. He studied design under Ms. Helena Parhintupa, a Scandinavian designer, at the National Institute of Design during 1968–69, and Graphic Art under Prof. Geoffrey Bowman at San José State University, California, during 1984–85. He has also participated in several significant group shows and All India Exhibitions organised by the Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi; U.P. State Lalit Kala Academy, Lucknow; and in a drawing exhibition organised by the Chandigarh Museum. He has been an active member of art groups such as Calcutta Painters and Art Trust. Former H.O.D. in the Department of Design, Kala Bhavana; now retired and residing in Santiniketan.

Mahjabin Imam Majumdar

Mahjabin Imam Majumdar from Shantiniketan has been a participant in numerous projects such as: Across the Boundaries’, Zainul gallery, Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka, ’Synchrome’ Organized by Akar Prakar at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai. Khyal: Music and Imagination, Multimedia exhibition, organized by Durham University, UK. She has showcased her artwork at the ‘Exhibition of three women artists, New York, USA, Group show of Modern & Contemporary Indian art curated by Dr. Rebecca M. Brown at the College of New Jersey Galleries & Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA. Her work has been presented in India Art Fair, Delhi 2023 by Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata. She has three Solo exhibitions to her credit, titled “Sound Of Silence” Organized by Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda and “The Missing Tales” and ‘Faltering Repose’ Organized by Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata. Her work is in collection at Rubin Museum, New York. USA. Durham University Museum, UK. The artist lives and works in Santiniketan, India.

Sheema Barua

Sheema Barua is specialized in Printmaking from Kala Bhavana and completed her Post Graduation in 1987. She received training from Prof. Paul Lingren (USA), an eminent artist Krishna Reddy and attended British Council workshop on etching process. She has participated in numerous National exhibitions and workshops all across the country organized by Lalit Kala Akademi and other art organizations. Her works are in private collection in the Netherlands, Korea, Germany and USA and in the National Art Gallery, New Delhi. She works and stays in Kolkata

Krishna Goswami

Krishna Goswami (b. 1962, Majuli, Assam) is a sculptor trained at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, where he earned a Diploma in Fine Arts with Distinction (1988) and a Post-Diploma in Fine Arts, securing First Class First (1990). He held solo exhibitions at Kala Bhavana (1988, 1990), the State Art Gallery, Guwahati, and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. His accolades include multiple State Merit Awards from the Government of Assam, the Ramkinkar Baij Book Award, and awards from the All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society. His works are housed in major public and private collections in India and abroad.

Dilip Mitra

Dilip Mitra is a painter who graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata (1987), and completed his M.F.A. from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan (1990). He is a recipient of the Academy Award from the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, and the J.K. Mukherjee Memorial Medal from the Indian Society of Oriental Art. In 1999, he received the Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. His solo and group exhibitions include shows in India, Mauritius, and South Korea. He is a Professor in the Department of Painting, Kala Bhavana

Arghya Priya Majumdar

Arghya Priya Majumdar studied at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, earning his B.F.A. in 1989 and M.F.A. in 1991. He has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, workshops, and art camps. Notable exhibitions include shows at Alliance Française, New Delhi; Tamarind Art Gallery, New York; Royal College of Art, London; Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata; and major cultural exchange exhibitions in Thailand and South Korea. His works are part of the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, and Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. He is currently an Associate Professor of Painting at Kala Bhavana.

Gokul Chandra Paul

Gokul Chandra Paul from Assam is a sculptor trained at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, where he completed his B.F.A. in Sculpture (2009), and later earned his M.F.A. in Sculpture from the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad (2012). His practice engages with terracotta, clay, and mixed media, informed by craft traditions and contemporary concerns. He has participated in several national group exhibitions, including shows at the Biennale site in Kochi, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, State Art Gallery, Guwahati, and galleries in Hyderabad and Santiniketan. An active workshop facilitator, he has conducted terracotta and clay workshops across India. His awards include the Benu Misra Memorial NRLA Award (2023) and Young Achievers Award (2018). He has also served as Guest Faculty at Royal Global University, Guwahati.

Atul Lahkar

Chef Atul Lahkar is a nationally and internationally recognised chef, culinary researcher, television host, and food heritage conservationist with over three decades of experience documenting and preserving the indigenous food traditions of Assam and Northeast India. He is the Founder and Curator of the Native Gastronomy Museum & Food Recharge Project, Assam, and a leading advocate of sustainable, community-based gastronomy. A restaurateur behind Heritage Khorikaa and Hurum, he has hosted numerous culinary and travel shows on platforms including BBC, Star Plus, and regional television networks, and currently hosts Mor Pakghar Mor Xowad. Author of The Maash, his work bridges gastronomy, anthropology, and cultural sustainability. He has collaborated with global chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Vikas Khanna, and Vineet Bhatia, and continues to promote indigenous food heritage through research, media, and education.

Goutam Das

Goutam Das was born in 1963. He studied B.F.A from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan in 1998. He is a recipient of National Scholarship from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development,India,the Lalit Kala Research Grant, the Charles Wallace Trust Scholarship to visit and work at the College of Art, Herriot, Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, the Academy of Fine Arts Award and an International Award from the South Korea. He is a professor in Ceramics, Department of Design and a former Principal of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan.