Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 11 : A student from Assam's capital city, Guwahati, Arani S Hazarika, has brought laurels to the state and become the first Assamese graduate in Sanskrit and Classical Hindi from the University of Oxford, one of the world's top five universities.
She received the degree (Bachelor of Arts) in the graduation ceremony held at the university's iconic Sheldonian Theatre auditorium on August 9.
The 21-year-old Assamese girl pursued her BA in Sanskrit and Classical Hindi as a student of the University's elite Balliol College, the oldest college of the English-speaking world, established by John De Balliol in 1263, under the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (earlier known as the Department of Oriental Studies).
It may be mentioned here that, as per the available record, Arani is also the first Assamese to successfully pursue a BA in Sanskrit in this world-famous university in recent decades.
An alumnus of Holy Child HS School located at Krishna Nagar, Chandmari in Guwahati, Arani had done exceptionally well in her Class X (2020) and XII (2022) CBSE Board exams from the school.
She was chosen by the University of Oxford to do a BA in Sanskrit after her Class XII Board exam at the age of 18. She was selected for the prestigious and highly competitive Simon and June Li Undergraduate Scholarship. She joined her classes in October 2022.
Considered a rare achievement to get enrolled in one of the best universities of the world at such a young age and just after completing the secondary school, especially from this part of the country, Arani during her BA in Oxford had worked on her dissertation with the topic of standardization of the 15th century Sanchi manuscript of the historic Dakshinpat Satra, Majuli, the abode of Sankari culture.
Daughter of popular Feng Shui-Vastu consultant of the State, Sudakshina Bhuyan, and senior journalist, writer-translator, and the assistant editor of The Assam Tribune, Partha Pratim Hazarika, Arani has already received an offer from the University to pursue her MA in the same college and department. .