Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Assam Couple Donates Rs 1 Crore Life Savings to University
Two retired teachers in Assam, India, gave away all their life savings.
Their savings were Rs 1 crore, a very large amount of money.
The couple taught at Cotton College for about 40 years.
After retiring, they decided to give the money to a university.
The university teaches Sanskrit and the history of ancient kingdoms.
The teachers said the money had become a burden to them.
They believe that education should be given back to society.
Their gift will help students with scholarships and research.
Many people in Assam were inspired by their generosity.
Retired professors Dr Pannalal Goswami and Dr Nandita Bhattacharya Goswami donated Rs 1 crore, virtually their entire life savings from four decades of government service, to Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (KBVS&ASU) in Nalbari, Assam.
The couple taught chemistry and Sanskrit at Cotton College, now Cotton University, and retired in 2009 after building the savings on modest government salaries.
University officials said the simple handover on 17 July 2026 was one of the largest individual gifts the university had received.
The donation will support scholarships, heritage research and the study of Sanskrit, Kamarupa history and ancient Indian knowledge at the university, which was established in 2011.
BJP MLA Dilip Saikia thanked the couple on social media, while Dr Nandita said "money had become a burden" and the couple sought to return "the people's wealth to the people."
- Who
- Dr Pannalal Goswami and Dr Nandita Bhattacharya Goswami, retired professors from Cotton College (now Cotton University) in Guwahati, Assam
- What
- Donated Rs 1 crore, virtually their entire life savings, to Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (KBVS&ASU) to support Sanskrit and ancient knowledge studies
- When
- July 2026; the handover took place on 17 July 2026
- Where
- KBVS&ASU in Namati village, Nalbari, Assam, India
- Why
- The couple believed education should be given back to the society that funded it; Dr Nandita said the money had become a burden and they wanted to preserve the study of Assam's ancient knowledge systems
- Donation Amount
- Rs 1 crore (the couple's life savings)
- Donors
- Dr Pannalal Goswami and Dr Nandita Bhattacharya Goswami
- Recipient
- Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (KBVS&ASU)
- Location
- Namati village, Nalbari, Assam
- Handover Date
- 17 July 2026
- Donors' Former Institution
- Cotton College (founded 1901), now Cotton University
- University Established
- 2011
- Fields of Study Supported
- Sanskrit, Kamarupa history, ancient Indian knowledge