Legacy • Literature • Recognition

Achievements & Honours

Celebrating the remarkable literary journey, prestigious awards, academic excellence, global recognition, cultural contributions, and decades of influential storytelling by Dr. Rita Chowdhury — one of the most distinguished literary voices of Assam and India.

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Major Awards & Honours

Dr. Rita Chowdhury has received numerous prestigious literary and cultural honours for her extraordinary contribution to Assamese literature, research, cinema, and society.

  • Sahitya Academy Award for the Assamese novel Deo Langkhui by Sahitya Academy, New Delhi in 2008
  • Won the First Prize in the Manuscript Competition of Asom Sahitya Sabha in 1981 for her novel Abirata Yatra.
  • Received the Lifetime Achievement Literature Award in Nagpur in 1998.
  • Was awarded the Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha Award by Assam Sahitya Sabha in 2006 for her novel Deo Langkhui.
  • Received the Certificate of Merit Award from the Indian Documentary Producer’s Association, Mumbai, for the documentary The Divided Soul in 2011.
  • Received the Award of Excellence in Best Editing for The Divided Soul at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in 2011.
  • Was conferred the Lekhika Samarooh Sahitya Award by Sadou Asom Lekhika Samarooh Sammittee in 2011.
  • The Marathi translation of her novel Makam by Vidhya Sharma received the G. A. Kulkarni Award from Goa Hindu Association, Mumbai, in 2013.
  • Was honoured in the Best Literature category at The Telegraph Axom Awards, presented by Indian Oil Corporation, in 2016.
  • Was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Jagaran News in 2022.
  • Received the Aparupa Mohiyoshi Best Litterateur Award on March 22, 2022.
  • Was honoured with the Shreemoyee Award by Oil India Limited in 2022
  • Was conferred the Birangana Mulagabhoru Award in 2023.
  • Received the annual Prag Prerona Award in 2023 on the occation of International Women’s Day, recognizing her resilience, strength, and contribution to society as an outstanding woman from Assam and the North-East.
  • Was conferred the Rangamuwa Bir Award in 2025 by Amguri Bandhoi, a group of former Assam Agitation activists in the greater Amguri area in Sivasagar district.
  • Received the Deuram Tasa Memorial Award in 2024 from the Jorhat District Sahitya Sabha Researcher-Litterateur Deuram Tasa Smrit Rakshya Samitee.
  • Received the Deuram Tasa Memorial Award in 2024 from the Jorhat District Sahitya Sabha Researcher-Litterateur Deuram Tasa Smrit Rakshya Samitee.
  • Received the Deuram Tasa Memorial Award in 2024 from the Jorhat District Sahitya Sabha Researcher-Litterateur Deuram Tasa Smrit Rakshya Samitee.
  • Is a recipient of the prestigious Assam Valley Literary Award in 2017.
  • Is also a recipient of the Moharani Joymoti Award.
  • Long listed- DSC
  • Shortlisted- Crossword
  • Maharani Joymati Award
  • Films – Keneen and Antaheen
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Felicitations

  • Felicitated by the Indian Overseas Chinese Organization, 2010
  • Felicitated by the Oxford Business School, Oxford
  • Felicitated by the Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (Assam)
  • Felicitated by the Assom Student Union (Assam)
  • Felicitated by the King of Gobha (Assam)
  • Felicitated by many distinguished literary organisations of Assam

Membership of Reputed Institutions

Recognized and associated with prestigious educational, literary, and governmental organizations across India.

Former Visitor’s (President of India) nominee to the Court, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh.

Former Governing Body member of NIIT, Arunachal Pradesh.

Former Visitor’s (President of India) nominee to the Court, Assam University, Silchar, Assam.

Life member, Assam Lekhika Santha (A Women’s literary Organization of Assam).

Former Member, State Commission for Women, Assam (Nominated by Government of Assam).

Ex-member, Asomiya Advisory Panel, National Book Trust, India.

Posts Held

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  • Lecturer, Political Science, Diphu Government College, Karbi Anglong from 1989 to 1991.
  • Lecturer & Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam from 1991 to 2001.
  • Associate professor in Political Science, Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam from 2001-2016
  • Director of the National Book Trust in India 2016- xxx
  • Current Editor, Assamese literary magazine Gariyoshi

Seminars/Festivals/Lectures

Participated in National/International seminars

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  • Paper presented at the 20th IPSA World Congress held in Fukuoka, Japan organized by the International Political Science Association. Title of the paper: Ethnicity and Governance: Problems of India’s Regional Security.
  • First international seminar on ‘Challenges of Development in North East India: Issues and Concerns’ on 3rd to 4th November, 2011 at the Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi. Topic of the paper: ‘War Induced Population Displacement and Search for Humanitarian Justice: A Study of Indian Chinese Community.’
  • Joined as a Panellist in the Session ‘A Time Apart’ in DSC Jaipur Literary Festival, 2011.
  • Panellist and Chairman in the Seminar on ‘Who is a Citizen?’ at the 22nd Grassroot Politics Colloquium at Developing Countries Research Centre, New Delhi on 25th to 26th March, 2001.
  • Participated as a panellist and Speaker in National Literary Meet at Daulat Ram College, New Delhi in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi on 29th July, 2011. Topic: The rise of the novel in India.
  • Participated as Speaker in the ‘Women Writer’s Interaction’ organized by the Indian Association for Women’s Studies along with Cotton College State University in collaboration with Zubaan, New Delhi on 3rd February, 2014.
  • Participated in the North East Festival organized by Zubaan on 29th January, 2011 in New Delhi.
  • Participated in Panel Discussion on ‘Society and Literature’ organised by Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati in Guwahati.
  • Delivered Special Lecture on the status of Assamese Chinese issue related to 1962 Sino-Indian War in a meeting of the ‘North-East MP Forum’ at the Conference Hall of Assam Bhawan, New Delhi in November, 2010.
  • Delivered Special Lecture on the status of Assamese Chinese issue related to 1962 Sino-Indian War at the Conference Hall of Assam Legislative Assembly in presence of all opposition party’s MLAs, in Dispur, Guwahati.
  • Delivered Speech in Oxford Business School, Oxford
  • Special Lecture on ‘Historical Background and the Present Socio-cultural Position of the tea-Community of Assam’, September, 2010 in North Bengal University.
  • Talk on Chinese diaspora in India with special reference to the Assamese Chinese at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi, November, 2010.
  • Delivered Lecture at Oxford Business School, London
  • Inaugural Lecture on the programme ‘Akash’ organized by Asom Sahitya Sabha (the primier and prestigious Literary Organization of Assam) in its Dergaon Session in 2011.
  • Presided and delivered inaugural lecture in the poet’s meet organized by Asom Sahitya Sabha in its Sapar Session in 2012.
  • Birinchi Kumar Baruah Memorial Lecture
  • Lecture on Indian philosophy
  • Speeches in various literary events, award giving functions, book release function, woman empowerment and so on.

Participation at literary festivals
and other major events

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  • Invited to attend Dhaka International Book Fair, 2005 for release her book “Papi Nakshatrer Golpo” by Gatidhar Publisher at Bangladesh during Dhaka International Book Fair
  • The Veergatha series, a set of illustrated books for children focusing on Param Veer Chakra awardees, was launched on January 25, 2016, in New Delhi under her directorial at the NBT
  • During her directorial tenure at NBT, the online portal for ISBN registration was launched in the year 2016
  • Attended Times Lit Fest Delhi, 2017
  • Invited as a Special Guests to attend 22nd Nepal International Book Fair 2018, Global Exposition & Management Services Pvt. Ltd, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Attended Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters, Kerala, 2018
  • Attended Zero Literary Festival
  • Attended Conference of World Book Fair Director at Sweden
  • Attended An Author's Afternoon Series in Kolkata, July 2018
  • Attended as a Panelist at The Write Circle series, Jaipur, 2018
  • Attended literature festival – Sahitya Aaj Tak 2019, Delhi
  • Attended Goa Art & Literature Festival in 2019
  • Attended Brahmaputra Literary Festival,2023
  • Dr. Rita Chowdhury was the Chief Guest at a cultural evening and charity event dedicated to supporting cancer patients and featured artists from Assam, in Navi Mumbai on June 21, 2025, organized by Srimoyee Asomiya Mahila Mandal, Mumbai.
  • Attended the third edition of UNMESHA International Literature Festival in the year 2025
  • Graced the Telangana Northeast Connect as a Panelist, 2025
  • Took part in Nalanda Literature Festival, 2025
  • She was an invitee at the India-Bangladesh Conclave held on the 26th of March, 2026 in Guwahati, Assam
  • She was invited to present her poetry at the Multilingual Poetry Reading Session held as part of the Annual Festival of Letters of the Sahitya Academi, New Delhi
  • As the Chief Guest she graced the Golden Jubilee Celebration of SANJIBANI- The Lady Doctor’s Association of Gauhati Medical College &Hospital
  • Dr Chowdhury delivered a lecture as the Chief Guest at the 6th anniversary of Padmeshwar Gogoi International School.

Academic / Public Lectures

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  • Special Lecture on ‘Historical Background and the Present Socio-cultural Position of the tea-Community of Assam’, September, 2010 in North Bengal University.
  • Talk on Chinese diaspora in India with special reference to the Assamese Chinese at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi, November, 2010.
  • Delivered Lecture at Oxford Business School, London
  • Inaugural Lecture on the programme ‘Akash’ organized by Asom Sahitya Sabha (the primier and prestigious Literary Organization of Assam) in its Dergaon Session in 2011.
  • Presided and delivered inaugural lecture in the poet’s meet organized by Asom Sahitya Sabha in its Sapar Session in 2012.
  • Birinchi Kumar Baruah Memorial Lecture
  • Lecture on Indian philosophy
  • Speeches in various literary events, award giving functions, book release function, woman empowerment and so on.
Academic Journey

Education & Research

A distinguished academic background combined with extensive literary, historical, and socio-political research contributions across Assam and India.

Ph.D from Guwahati University on Comparative Literature in 2005
Thesis: Society and Women psychology depicted in Nirupama Borgohain and Ashapurna Devi’s Novels: A comparative study.
LLB from Gauhati University in 1990.
M.A. in Assamese from Gauhati University in 1994.
M.A. in Political Science from Gauhati University in 1988.
B.A. in Political Science from Cotton College, Gauhati University in 1982.

Research Studies Conducted

The Chinese Diaspora and 1962 Sino-Indian War.

Tea History of Assam

Tea Community of Assam

Tiwa Tribe of Assam.

The Assamese Chinese Community

Ongoing Research

1971 Indo-Pak War and Forced Migration.

Political History of Assam

Research papers / theses on her works

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  • Ph.D. on her works by Nandita Dutta, Mousumi Hajarika, among others
  • Rajiv Deka has done Ph.D on Makam and Deo Langhui
  • Several Research Papers on Rita Chowdhury’s novels including Makam, Mayabritta, Deo Langkhui, Ei Samay Sei Samay, Chinatown Days have been published in well-known journals.
  • There are research papers on her works by Amit Rahul Baisya, Manashi Changmai, Rehat Mahanta, Mallika Tamuly, Rini Bannerjee, Niharika Gogoi, Khirod Das among others

Social commitment

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  • Empowering Young Writers of Assam through a literary Trust, ADHARXILA as its Managing Trustee.
  • Upliftment of ethnic communities of Assam
  • Indian-Chinese – Voiceless, Greater Assamese Community, Woman Empowerment, Environment, Book Promotion – mainly through her own platform