WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has presented Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award for National Integration and National Contribution.
• This award has been conferred to eminent writer Nirode Kumar Barooah, Assam Branch of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust and Shillong Chamber Choir at a special function in Guwahati.
• The award carries a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh, a citation, and a shawl. It is one of the biggest civilian awards of Assam.
• This award was instituted by the Assam government in memory of the state’s first chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi. 
• The Assam branch of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust was founded by Mahatma Gandhi on 9 January 1946.
• Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) is a renowned musical group founded in 2001. It has performed on various national and international platforms.