First Assamese to Earn Oxford Degree in Sanskrit & Classical Hindi

Guwahati: Breaking new ground for Assam, 21-year-old Arani S. Hazarika from Bamunimaidam, Guwahati, has created history by becoming the first Assamese to graduate in Sanskrit and Classical Hindi from the prestigious University of Oxford.

The milestone was marked on August 9 at the university’s iconic Sheldonian Theatre, where Arani received her Bachelor’s degree in the presence of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, eminent academicians, and scholars from around the world.

Arani, a former student of Holy Child Higher Secondary School in Chandmari, excelled in her CBSE board exams before earning a place at Oxford at just 18. She studied at Balliol College—one of the university’s oldest institutions—under the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, choosing the rare academic combination of Sanskrit and Classical Hindi.

Her achievements were bolstered by the prestigious Simon and June Li Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded to exceptional international students. As part of her studies, she produced an important research paper on the preservation and authentication of 15th-century palm-leaf manuscripts from Dakhinpat Satra in Majuli, an institution founded by Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva and a vital repository of Assamese heritage.

Daughter of senior journalist and The Assam Tribune Assistant Editor Partha Pratim Hazarika and noted Feng Shui–Vaastu consultant Sudakshina Bhuyan, Arani’s accomplishment is being hailed as a moment of immense pride for the state, reflecting Assam’s growing prominence in global academia.