Guwahati: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 110-crore infrastructure development project at Gauhati University and urged students to stay away from drugs, use social media responsibly and respect their parents and teachers.
Addressing a special programme at the university, Radhakrishnan said the choices, discipline and values of young people shape the individuals they become in the future.
The project, approved earlier by the Assam Cabinet, is part of the first phase of infrastructure development at Gauhati University and is aimed at expanding its academic infrastructure.
Assam Governor and Gauhati University Chancellor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Education Minister Ranoj Pegu attended the programme.
Radhakrishnan highlighted the university’s academic legacy and its efforts to promote linguistic and cultural exchanges. He noted that Tamil literature is taught at Gauhati University, with works being translated between Assamese and Tamil.
He also urged Tamil University to consider translating Assamese literature into Tamil, saying such initiatives would strengthen cultural and literary ties between Assam and Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the Brahmaputra, Radhakrishnan described the river as a symbol of a shared civilisational heritage. He also appreciated Gauhati University’s efforts to build bridges between different linguistic and cultural communities.
Sarma, in his address, recalled the university’s contribution to Assam’s intellectual heritage and said he hoped it would continue to contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta highlighted the institution’s recent academic and research initiatives, including technical courses focused on the semiconductor industry and laboratories for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and machine learning.
He also referred to the GU-TERI Centre for Himalayan Studies, which focuses on climate change research, and new postgraduate programmes through the Centre for Performing Arts.
According to Mahanta, Gauhati University became the first higher education institution in Northeast India in August 2026 to introduce an undergraduate minor degree in Quantum Technology and a diploma programme in Forensic Psychology.
The programme also saw the release of the fifth revised and enlarged edition of Chandrakanta Abhidhan and Bhupen Hazarika: Hundred Years of a Wandering Song.
Registrar Utpal Sarma administered an anti-drug pledge to students and other participants.