Shillong, April 28: Prof. David R. Syiemlieh from Meghalaya has been conferred with the Padma Shri award in the field of literature and education.
A scholar of history and culture of the North East and former Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Syiemlieh was among the 4 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri awardees for the year 2025.
The awards were presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday.
The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, various Union Ministers, and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.
The Padma awardees will pay homage at the National War Memorial on April 29, 2025. They will also visit the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.
Born on January 22, 1953, in Mutrapore, Sibsagar, Assam, Prof. Syiemlieh graduated with honours in History from St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, in 1974. He later earned an M. Phil in 1980 and a Ph.D. in 1985 from North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU). He taught at St. Edmund’s College (1977-1979) and NEHU (1979-2012), where he held several key positions, including Dean of Students’ Welfare, Head of the History Department, Controller of Examinations, Registrar (acting), and Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
In October 2011, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh. In 2012, he joined the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as a member and became its Chairman in 2017.
Prof. Syiemlieh’s first book, British Administration in Meghalaya: Policy and Pattern (1989), established him as a scholar of the history and culture of Meghalaya and the North East. This was followed by Survey of Research in History on North East India 1970-1990 and an edited volume with J.B. Bhattacharjee, Early States in North East India. His more recent works include On the Edge of Empire: Four British Plans for North East India and Layers of History: Essays on the Khasi-Jaintias, a collection of 17 articles on the history and culture of the Khasi-Jaintia people of Meghalaya.
He also coordinated the research, editing, and publication of Meghalaya at Fifty 1972-2022, which was launched on January 21, 2022, to mark the 50th anniversary of Meghalaya’s statehood. Prof. Syiemlieh is credited with researching and discovering the death date and other details of U Tirot Sing, the Syiem (chief) of Nongkhlawhima in the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya. Tirot Sing, who led resistance against British expansion, died under house arrest on July 17, 1835. His death is now commemorated annually in Meghalaya as a state holiday.
Prof. Syiemlieh has received numerous scholarships and fellowships, including a Government of India Postgraduate Scholarship, a Senior Fulbright Fellowship for research in the USA, a Charles Wallace Grant for research in the UK, and an Indo-France Cultural Exchange Grant for research in Paris. He served as President of the North East India History Association (NEIHA) in 2010-2011 and was a Council Member of the Indian Council of Historical Research and the Indian Council of Social Science Research. He was also elected President of the Modern India Section of the Indian History Congress at its 73rd session in January 2013.
In recognition of his continuous support for education and literature, Prof. Syiemlieh serves as an Adviser to the Meghalaya State Education Commission, Government of Meghalaya, and is on the academic council and board of management of several universities.
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