Bandbaajabarat at 07:14, 13 March 2026

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{{Short description|Indian writer from Assam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Gita Upadhyay
| image = Gita Upadhyay.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|02|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gangmouthan, Darrang district (now Biswanath district), Assam, British India
| education = {{Plainlist|
* [[Handique Girls College]] (BA)
* Postgraduate degree (Political Science)
}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Educator|Writer|Translator}}
| known_for = {{hlist|Contributions to Assamese and Nepali literature| Education}}
| notable_works = {{Plainlist|
* Translation of ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' into Nepali and Assamese
* ''Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh'' (novel)
* ''Jiwanlai Pharkera Herda'' (Autobiography)
}}
| relatives = {{Plainlist|
* [[Chabilal Upadhyaya]] (Grandfather)
Tankanath Upadhyaya (father)
Swarup Upadhyaya, Ex-MP of Tezpur Constituency(Brother)
Late Justice Arun Chandra Upadhyaya, Ex-Judge of Gauhati High Court (Brother)
}}
| awards = {{Plainlist|
* [[Padma Shri]] (2025)
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (2016)
}}
}}

'''Gita Upadhyay''' (born 14 February 1939) is an Indian educator, writer, and translator from [[Assam]].<ref name="indiatodayne2025list2">{{cite news |date=25 January 2025 |title=Five from Assam conferred with prestigious Padma Awards on Republic Day 2025 |url=https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/five-from-assam-conferred-with-prestigious-padma-awards-on-republic-day-2025-1160637-2025-01-25 |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=India Today NE |archive-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125174106/https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/five-from-assam-conferred-with-prestigious-padma-awards-on-republic-day-2025-1160637-2025-01-25 |url-status=live }}</ref> She is known for her contributions to both [[Assamese language|Assamese]] and [[Nepali language|Nepali]] literature, particularly through translation works aimed at fostering cultural understanding.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dist admin and local MLA congratulate Padma Shri Awardee Gita Upadhyay |url=https://www.thereveal.co.in/2025/01/dist-admin-and-local-mla-congratulate.html |access-date=2025-05-01}}</ref> She was awarded the [[Padma Shri]], India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2025 in the field of literature and education.<ref name="timesindia2025list2">{{cite news |date=27 January 2025 |title=Padma awards 2025: 139 distinguished personalities conferred prestigious awards, 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri; see full list |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/padma-awards-2025-139-distinguished-personalities-conferred-prestigious-awards-7-padma-vibhushan-19-padma-bhushan-and-113-padma-shri-see-full-list/articleshow/117558881.cms |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=The Times of India |archive-date=15 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315092800/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/padma-awards-2025-139-distinguished-personalities-conferred-prestigious-awards-7-padma-vibhushan-19-padma-bhushan-and-113-padma-shri-see-full-list/articleshow/117558881.cms |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards 2025 announced |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2096285 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221083811/https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2096285 |archive-date=21 February 2025 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=pib.gov.in |url-status=live }}</ref> She is noted as the first woman from the Gorkha community of Assam to obtain a post-graduate degree.<ref name="sahityapost2">{{cite web |title=Gita Upadhyaya: Padma Shri Awardee and Her Life Sketch |url=https://english.sahityapost.com/gita-upadhyaya-padma-shri-awardee-and-her-life-sketch/ |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=Sahityapost English|date=6 February 2025 }}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Gita Upadhyay was born on 14 February 1939, in the village of Gangmouthan, then part of [[Darrang district]] (now [[Biswanath district]]) in Assam, British India.<ref name="sahityapost2" /><ref name="sikkimexpress2">{{cite web |date=31 January 2025 |title=Gita Upadhyaya: A Life Sketch |url=https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/gita-upadhyaya-a-life-sketch |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=Sikkimexpress |archive-date=31 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131193703/https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/gita-upadhyaya-a-life-sketch |url-status=live }}</ref> She is the eldest daughter of Tankanath Upadhyay and Bhagirathi Devi, and the granddaughter of [[Chabilal Upadhyaya|Chabilal Upadhyay]], a prominent freedom fighter and the first president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.<ref name="sahityapost2" /><ref name="sentinelassam2">{{cite web |title=Padma Awards 2025: List Of Awardees From Assam |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/ampstories/web-stories/padma-awards-2025-list-of-awardees-from-assam |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=The Sentinel}}</ref> Her father was a translator and reader.<ref name="sikkimexpress2" />

Upadhyay began her schooling at Gangmouthan Balika Prathamik Vidyalaya and completed her High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) from Behali High School in 1955. She pursued higher education in Guwahati, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Handique Girls College]] in 1959. In 1964, she obtained a postgraduate degree in Political Science, becoming the first Gorkha woman from Assam to achieve these academic milestones.<ref name="sahityapost2" /><ref name="sikkimexpress2" />

== Career ==
Upadhyay joined Sibsagar College as a lecturer in 1965 after her master's degree. She taught at the institution for thirty-four years, before retiring as the Head of the Political Science Department in 1999.<ref name=":0" /> She later served as a member of the Board of Management at [[Tezpur University]].<ref name="TezpurBoM">{{cite web |date=10 November 2017 |title=MINUTES OF THE EIGHTY FOURTH (84TH) MEETING OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT(B.84/2017/4) HELD ON 10/11/2017 AT TEZPUR UNIVERSITY |url=http://www.tezu.ernet.in/statutory_bodies/Minutes-of-84th-BoM.pdf |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=Tezpur University |page=1 |archive-date=9 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509192419/http://www.tezu.ernet.in/statutory_bodies/Minutes-of-84th-BoM.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Upadhyay has also been actively involved in social and literary organisations. She has served as the President of Nepali Sahitya Parisad (Assam), Akhil Asom Lekhika Sanstha, and the Assam Branch of the [[Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh|Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha]].<ref name="sikkimexpress2" /> Her work, particularly in translation, is recognised for promoting cultural exchange and understanding between linguistic communities.<ref name="sahityapost2" />

== Literary works ==
Upadhyay's literary career began alongside her academic profession. She is fluent in both Assamese and Nepali, and has authored and translated around two dozen books.<ref name="sikkimexpress2" /> Her work spans genres including poetry, fiction, essays, travelogues, biographies, and children's literature. Her writing often reflects the social, historical, and cultural contexts around her.<ref name="sahityapost2" /><ref name="sikkimexpress2" />

Her first published work was a Nepali translation of ''[[The Diary of a Young Girl]]'' by [[Anne Frank]] in 1972. She co-translated the same book into Assamese with Basanti Laskar in 1975.<ref name="sahityapost2" /><ref name="sikkimexpress2" /> She translated Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala's play ''Karengor Ligiri'' from Assamese to Nepali under the title ''Darbarki Susare''. She also translated Nirupama Borgohain's ''Abhijatri'' into Nepali.<ref name=":0" /> Her notable translations into [[Assamese language|Assamese]] include ''Bhanubhaktar Ramayan'' (1987) and Lakshmiprasad Devkota's ''Muna-Madan'' (2000).<ref name="sahityapost2" />

Her [[Nepali language|Nepali]] novel ''Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh'', based on the life of her grandfather Chhabilal Upadhyaya,<ref name="SikkimReview">{{cite web |date=20 May 2020 |title='Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh': in a nutshell |url=https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/janmabhumi-mero-swadesh-in-a-nutshell |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=Sikkimexpress}}</ref> won the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 2016.<ref name="SA2016Press">{{cite web |date=21 December 2016 |title=PRESS RELEASE: Sahitya Akademi Award 2016 |url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/pdf/sahityaakademiawards2016.pdf |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=Sahitya Akademi |page=1 |quote=Five award winning novelists are Jerry Pinto (English), Nasira Sharma (Hindi), Boluwaru Mohammad Kunhi (Kannada), Edwin J.F. D'souza (Konkani) and Gita Upadhyay (Nepali). |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813180230/https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/pdf/sahityaakademiawards2016.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Other original works include the biography ''Mahapurush Shankardev: Jeevan Ra Karma'' (2003), the travelogue ''Mandakini Ra Alakanandako Tiraitir Badri Kedarsamma'' (2003), and her autobiography ''Jiwanlai Pharkera Herda'' (2018).

=== Selected works ===
* ''[[The Diary of a Young Girl]]'' (Nepali translation, 1972)
* ''[[The Diary of a Young Girl]]'' (Assamese co-translation with Basanti Laskar, 1975)
* ''Aamaa Ma First Bhayen'' (Children's novel, 1997)
* ''Mahapurush Shankardev: Jeevan Ra Karma'' (Biography, 2003)
* ''Mandakini Ra Alakanandako Tiraitir Badri Kedarsamma'' (Travelogue, 2003)
* ''Kathanjali'' (Collection of short stories, 2005)
* ''Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh'' (Novel, 2013)
* ''Jiwanlai Pharkera Herda'' (Autobiography, 2018)

== Awards and recognition ==

* Padma Shri (2025)—awarded by the [[President of India]] for Literature and Education<ref name="timesindia2025list2" /><ref name="ndtv2025list2">{{cite web |date=26 January 2025 |title=Padma Awards 2025: 30 Awarded For Excellence In Literature And Education |url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/padma-awards-2025-30-awarded-for-excellence-in-literature-and-education-7562091 |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=NDTV}}</ref>
* Padma Prasad Dhungana Award (2001)<ref name="sahityapost2" />
* Literary Pension by the Government of Assam (2003)<ref name="sahityapost2" />
* Parijat Miteri Samman (2007)<ref name="sahityapost2" />
* [[Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize]] (2012)—for translating ''Karengor Ligiri'' into Nepali as ''Darbarki Susare''<ref>{{Cite web |title=..:: SAHITYA : Akademi Awards ::.. |url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/awards/anuvad_samman_suchi.jsp#NEPALI |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=sahitya-akademi.gov.in |archive-date=7 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707101505/https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/awards/anuvad_samman_suchi.jsp#NEPALI |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (2016)—for her novel<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-14 |title=Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Nepali |url=https://gorkhabooktrust.com/sahitya-akademi-award-winners-for-nepali/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[List of Padma Shri award recipients (2020–2029)]]
* [[List of Indian writers]]
* [[Assamese literature]]
* [[History of Assamese literature]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upadhyay, Gita}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature and education]]
[[Category:Indian women writers]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Writers from Assam]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Nepali]]

Gita Upadhyay - Revision history

Bandbaajabarat at 07:14, 13 March 2026