Guwahati, Apr 29: Professor Anil Kumar Boro, a renowned Bodo poet, folklorist, and academician from Assam, has been conferred with the Padma Shri award for his outstanding contribution to Bodo literature and folklore. The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Professor Boro currently serves as the Head of the Department of Folklore Research at Gauhati University. He has authored over 30 books spanning genres such as poetry, literary criticism, novels, children’s literature, travelogues, and folklore studies. His notable works include Folk Literature of the Bodos: An Introduction, A History of Bodo Literature, The Flute and the Harp, and Delphini Onthai Mwdai Arw Guhun Crubun Khonthai.

Anil Boro has also made significant contributions as a translator, introducing world literature to Bodo readers. As an editor, he has curated several literary journals, including The Bodo Quarterly, Journal of Folklorists, and Thunslai, an online journal of translation.

Born on December 9, 1961, in Kahitama near Manas National Park, Assam, Boro completed his Master’s degree in English from Gauhati University and later earned a Ph.D. from its Department of Folklore Research. He started his academic career as a Lecturer in English at Dimoria College in 1988 before joining Gauhati University in 2000. He resides in Guwahati.

Beyond his literary work, Professor Boro has actively promoted mother tongue education and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Bodoland. He is closely associated with the Bodo Sahitya Sabha and has been instrumental in organising the Kokrajhar Literary Festival since 2021.

He has represented India at several international academic forums and conferences in countries such as Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Denmark, and China. His achievements have been previously recognised with honours like the Sahitya Akademi Award (2012), Rangsar Literary Award, and Sahitya Sadhana Botha (2024).

Bodo is listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and is recognised as an Associate Official Language of Assam, with its use permitted as a medium of instruction up to Class XII.

The Padma Awards, among the highest civilian honours of India, are conferred annually in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. For the year 2025, a total of 139 Padma Awards have been approved, including 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards.