Dibrugarh varsity to confer honorary degrees on eminent surgeon, author

Dibrugarh: Distinguished surgeon Dr Sarbeswar Bhuyan and acclaimed author Mamang Dai will be conferred with honorary degrees by Dibrugarh University at its 24th Convocation, scheduled to be held on March 12.

The decision was taken at the 361st meeting of the university’s executive council and has been warmly received by the academic community.


Dr Bhuyan will be awarded the doctor of science (DSc) degree in recognition of his distinguished service to surgical and medical education. Long associated with Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh, he is a widely respected figure in the state’s medical fraternity. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dr Bhuyan is particularly admired for his steadfast commitment to providing medical support to economically weaker patients and his sustained outreach to rural and underserved communities across the region.

Mamang Dai will receive the doctor of literature (D Litt) degree in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Indian English literature. A native of Arunachal Pradesh and a member of the Adi community, she has profoundly enriched contemporary writing with narratives rooted in the oral traditions, folklore, history and landscapes of the northeast. She was conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017 for her novel The Black Hill (2014) and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011 for her contributions to literature and education.

Notably, Dai was the first woman from Arunachal to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1979, before she eventually devoted herself entirely to literature and journalism. Her celebrated works include The Legends of Pensam, River Poems and The White Shirts of Summer. She is currently based in Itanagar.

The convocation will be attended by the chancellor of the university and Assam governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, along with Union minister and Dibrugarh MP Sarbananda Sonowal.

Dibrugarh University registrar Paramananda Sonowal confirmed that a total of 12,261 students will be awarded degrees this year, of whom 1,965 are expected to receive their degrees in person. Postgraduate students form the largest attending group, with 812 from arts, 159 from commerce and 235 from science. Students from autonomous colleges — 236 from arts, 10 from commerce and 34 from science — will also participate.

Professional degrees will be conferred upon 141 MBA, 30 MCA, 22 M Ed, 25 M Pharm, 85 MSW, 21 M Tech, 9 MTTM, 19 MA in library science and 6 integrated M Sc candidates, while 105 scholars will receive the Ph D degree.

Governor’s Gold Medals will be presented to toppers in 41 subjects, alongside special memorial awards, including the Dr Junali Kripi Memorial Gold Medal in Anthropology and the Dr Kamalakanta Borgohain Memorial Scholarship in education.