The event inaugurated by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the Bodoland University under the auspices of the BTR administration.
The BTR is an elected autonomous body established under the Constitution's Sixth Schedule for Assam's Bodo-dominated areas. BTR chief Pramod Boro said the festival highlighted the fact that the BTR peace accord, signed in 2020 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has paved the way for the transition of the region "from guns to a culture of knowledge".
The festival's goal is to "create, foster, and promote knowledge exchange, solution sharing, and partnership building for the achievement of social development priorities and key sustainable development goals (SDG) 2030 in contemporary BTR and society in general," according to the release.
The festival's knowledge partners include prominent academic institutions in the Northeastern region such as Tezpur Central University, Assam Agricultural University, and IIT Guwahati. Dignitaries will attend the valedictory function, including Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
To coordinate the overall preparations for the event, 19 thematic working groups covering various areas of human endeavour have been formed.
Many experts, academics, and industry representatives will attend the event to discuss a variety of topics, including science and technology, livelihood, indigenous knowledge systems, gender empowerment, child rights and protection, peace building, good governance, human rights, sustainable agriculture, and youth entrepreneurship, among others.
A goodwill car rally is being organised across Assam from February 13 to 16 to promote the event in select academic institutions. Boro invited students from Assam and the Northeast to participate in the festival.
