HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 22: Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu delivered the keynote address at the first Rabijit Choudhury Memorial Lecture at Gurucharan University, Silchar, highlighting the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the role of responsible journalism in a digital era.
Speaking on the theme “Three Language Policy of NEP: Is It the Way Forward?”, Dr Pegu stressed that the NEP promotes learning with freedom, cultural balance and national unity, allowing students to choose languages and disciplines based on interest rather than compulsion. He clarified that no language, including Hindi is being imposed under the policy and learning mother tongue and MIL is encouraged but not mandatory.
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The minister also warned against the growing threat of AI-generated misinformation in journalism, urging media professionals to verify facts and use technology responsibly. He highlighted the dangers of unverified content on social media and underlined the ethical responsibility of journalists to act as filters of truth.
Paying tribute to late Rabijit Choudhury, Dr Pegu remembered him as a respected journalist, public thinker and social activist who championed fairness, social justice and the uplift of marginalised communities in Assam and the Northeast.
The programme was attended by Prof Niranjan Roy, Vice Chancellor of Gurucharan University, Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Dr Krishna Chandra Das and Shankhadeep Choudhury, son of the late journalist. Prof Roy recalled Choudhury’s contributions and discussed Assam’s early NEP implementation, linking mother tongue education to multilingual learning and economic growth.
The event, organised by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell in coordination with the Department of Mass Communication, included tributes, presentations and the reading of Choudhury’s profile. Faculty, students and academicians attended, making it a platform for vibrant academic exchange.
