Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday asserted that India was not born in 1947 but is the culmination of 5,000 years of spiritual and intellectual penance. He was speaking at the fourth Foundation Day celebration of Pragjyotishpur University at Hajongbari, Chandrapur in Kamrup (Metro) district.

Inaugurating the university’s newly constructed auditorium and pharmacy block, Sarma said that the nation’s ancient civilization led the world in wisdom and knowledge before the colonial era disrupted its intellectual progress. He urged institutions such as Pragjyotishpur University to revive India’s great tradition of learning and philosophy rooted in the Sanatan value system.

Elaborating on the legacy of Pragjyotishpur, Sarma noted that the term means “City of Eastern Astrology” and that the name finds mention in the Ramayana and Mahabharata as the kingdom of King Bhagadatta. He traced Assam’s lineage from ancient Pragjyotishpur to Kamrupa and later to its present identity after the Ahom era.“Pragjyotishpur University, grounded in Indian educational and cultural values, reflects the noble mission of shaping education as a means of collective welfare,” the Chief Minister said. He hailed the university’s rapid progress in the last three years, describing it as a “young banyan tree” destined to grow into a leading institution for life-oriented education.

Sarma also emphasized that education must remain nation-centric and aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. He encouraged students to master scientific and technological knowledge to contribute to a self-reliant India.Highlighting the ancient Indian pursuit of knowledge, he recalled that universities such as Takshashila, Nalanda, and Vikramshila once served as global centres of learning in science, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Health Minister Ashok Singhal, Labour Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala, and several other dignitaries, MPs, MLAs, faculty members, and students attended the event.