Padma Shri awarded to Ilias Ali, Udhab Bharali from Assam

Guwahati, January 26, 2019:

Proud moments for people of Assam as surgeon and population expert Dr Ilias Ali and Science and Technology grassroots-level innovator Uddhab Bharali have been conferred the Padma Shri, India’s third highest civilian honour!

This comes as an icing on the cake as Bhupen Hazarika, Assam’s cultural icon and ‘xudakontho’, has also been conferred the ‘Bharat Ratna’, India’s highest civilian honour on the eve of India’s 70^th Republic Day.

Dr Ali is a surgeon credited with conducting three lakh male individuals. He is also the chairman of the North East Population Foundation. Dr. Ali is also renowned for his efforts to control population and is also known for speaking out against polygamy and child marriage.

Bharali, who hails from Lakhimpur district in Assam, has about 118 innovations to his name starting from the 1980’s. Bharali was recognized by the National Innovation Foundation for his innovations. The inventor was also awarded the ‘President’s Grassroots Innovation Award’, 2009. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted out from his official Twitter handle to congratulate the 'Padma' awardees.