2 days ago
Assamese girl becomes first from state to earn Oxford degree in Sanskrit, Classical Hindi
An Assamese girl, Arani S Hazarika, 21, has become the first Assamese to graduate in Sanskrit and Classical Hindi from Oxford University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree on August 9 at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford's ceremonial studied at Balliol College under the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern programme combined Sanskrit with Classical Hindi, covering linguistic structure, literature, and historical texts. University records, according to her family, indicate that she is also the first Assamese student to earn a BA in Sanskrit from Oxford. Her father, Partha Pratim Hazarika, a senior journalist based in Guwahati, confirmed the milestone. 'As per available records, this is the first time an Assamese has graduated in Sanskrit from Oxford,' he CLASS 12 TO OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP AND SPECIALISATION IN SANSKRITArani's path to Oxford began soon after her Class 12 board examinations.
The university offered her a place in its BA Sanskrit programme and awarded her the Simon and June Li Undergraduate Scholarship, which supports high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds. She joined the course in October her degree, Hazarika focused her dissertation on the standardisation of a 15th-century Sanchi manuscript of the Dakshinpat Satra in Majuli, a key Vaishnavite monastery in work involved detailed study of the manuscript's linguistic features, orthography, and preservation academic performance has earned her an offer to continue at Oxford for a Master's degree in the same field. She is expected to begin her MA at Balliol College under the same department later this ASSAMESE HERITAGE WITH GLOBAL ACADEMIC CIRCLESArani's achievement marks a rare combination of regional heritage and global academic recognition. Sanskrit, though an ancient language, continues to be studied in international universities as part of wider research in linguistics, philosophy, and classical Sanskrit programme has trained scholars from across the world, but Hazarika's enrolment and graduation bring Assam into that Assam's academic community, the milestone is likely to encourage more students to consider niche subjects and pursue them at leading global institutions. It also draws attention to the scope for research on Assamese cultural and literary history in international progression from undergraduate to postgraduate study at Oxford adds another chapter to the story. For now, her graduation sets a benchmark for aspiring students from the state and the Northeast who aim to blend local scholarship with global platforms.(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)- Ends
