Hojai: In a significant step towards expanding career awareness among school students, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is conducting its first-ever district-level outreach programme in Hojai under ABHILASHA 2025 – The First Step to Design Futures, supported by the Design Innovation Centre, IIT Guwahati.
The two-day programme, scheduled for December 27 and 28 at Bhavishya Vidya Mandir, Hojai, is aimed at students of Classes 7 to 12, along with teachers and parents. It introduces participants to diverse national-level career pathways in Design, Fashion, Management, Law, and Higher Education, moving beyond conventional engineering and medical streams. Students are being sensitised to competitive examinations such as UCEED, NID–DAT, NIFT–NIFTEE, IPMAT, CLAT, and CUET, helping them make informed academic choices at an early stage.
ABHILASHA 2025 has already reached over 5,300 students, teachers, and parents across several districts of the North East. Previous editions were held in Jorhat (2,000+ participants), Tura in West Garo Hills (1,500+), Nongpoh in Ri Bhoi (1,000+), and Dhemaji (800+). Organised in collaboration with the respective Deputy and District Commissioners, the initiative marks IIT Guwahati’s first district-level academic outreach across Assam and Meghalaya.
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Notably, this is the first time in the institute’s history that a structured academic career awareness programme has been taken beyond the IIT Guwahati campus to rural and remote districts. The expansion was initiated by Prof. Pratul Kalita, Head of the Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, with the vision of directly connecting the institute’s academic expertise with communities across the North East. The Hojai programme will be inaugurated by Basistha Buzarbarua, Khetra Pracharak, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as Chief Guest, and Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati, ACS, District Commissioner of Hojai, as Guest of Honour, along with several other distinguished guests.
ABHILASHA 2025 is being led by Prof. Pratul Kalita and supported by Dr. Soumen Das, B.Tech (IIT Guwahati), MBA (IIM Lucknow), PhD (Design, IIT Guwahati), who returned to the North East after a global corporate career in the USA to mentor young minds from the region. The initiative aims to reach over 10,000 students across the North East by March 2026, positioning design, creativity, and innovation as transformative career pathways for the region’s youth.
