Rajaniprabha Saikia

Rajani Prabha Saikia
Born
Rameswari

Daisingari village, Bajali, Barpeta district
Died
Daisingari village, Bajali, Barpeta district
CitizenshipIndian
EducationBachelor of Medicine
Alma materCalcutta Medical College
OccupationPhysician
Parent(s)Ratiram Majumder (father)
Gangapriya (mother)
RelativesChandraprabha Saikiani (sister)
Writing career
LanguageEnglish

Rajani Prabha Saikia (also known as Rajani Prabha Das) was the first Assamese woman to graduate with a Bachelor of Medicine degree.[1][2] She was among the first two Assamese women to earn an MBBS degree from Calcutta Medical College, the oldest medical college in Asia. The other recipient was Tilottama Roy Chowdhury.[3][4][5]

Early life and personal background

Rajni Prabha Saikia was born in Daishingari village in the Bajali area of present-day Barpeta district, Assam. She was originally named Rameshwari at birth. She was a member of Saikia family and her sister Chandraprabha Saikiani[6][7] was a noted social reformer and Padma Shri awardee.[8]

Career

Rajni Prabha Saikia initially held government positions in places such as Shillong and Chabua.[3] She later moved to Bengal, where she worked at a hospital associated with a cotton mill in Angos near Serampore, West Bengal.[5]

Death

Shortly after her marriage, Rajni Prabha Das experienced mental health issues and became mentally disturbed.[5] She later died due to complications arising from her mental illness in her native village of Daishingari.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Chandraprabha Saikiani: A Trailblazer for Women's Empowerment". Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. India: Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
  2. ↑ Gurucharan Gollerkeri, Renuka Raja Rao (2024). The Making of India, 1947-2022: Pivotal People, Events, and Institutions. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 341. ISBN 9781527561410.
  3. 1 2 3 "Science in the World". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. ↑ Dr. Mihir Kumar Goswami (2004). Ranjit Kumar Deb Goswami (ed.). "Assamese Women in Medicine". Story Guwahati.
  5. 1 2 3 Dr. Shivnath Burman. Assamese Biography Dictionary.
  6. ↑ "Chandraprabha Saikiani". Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Barpeta, Assam: Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Chandraprabha Saikiani: The Legendary Crusader" in Assam Times, pallavibarua, 16 March 2010
  8. ↑ Yamini Devi, Padmashri Chandraprabha Saikiani, the pride of Bajali, Memoir: Pathshala Girls High School, (2012), pp. 51–53