Kolkata: Nilufa Yasmin, a resident of Palita Road in Katwa, East Burdwan, has secured the top rank in the UGC-NET JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) 2025 in Bengali, scoring a perfect 100 percentile.
Her achievement holds special significance in the context of recent concerns over the treatment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, as she reaffirms the strength and relevance of the mother tongue.
Nilufa, currently pursuing her PhD in medieval Bengali literature from Burdwan University, cleared the UGC-NET exam in her third attempt. She had qualified for NET in her previous two attempts but had missed out on the JRF.
This year, 3,684 candidates appeared for the national-level examination, with Nilufa emerging as the top scorer.
Rikta Chakraborty from Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas secured the second position in India in the UGC-NET June 2025 exam in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated both candidates in a post on X. “Congratulations to Nilufa Yasmin of Katwa in Purba Bardhaman for scoring 100 percentile and securing first position in India in UGC–NET June 2025 in Bengali, and to Rikta Chakraborty of Kolkata for securing second position in India in UGC-NET June 2025 in Mass Communication and Journalism. Your achievements have made our State proud. Congratulations to your parents/guardians and teachers too,” Banerjee posted.
“When I appeared for the NET exam on June 26, I was confident about cracking JRF this time. But securing the first position came as a surprise,” Nilufa said.
A consistent academic performer, Nilufa has always been among the top scorers in school and college. In her postgraduate studies, she secured the third-highest marks. She comes from a family of educators—her father, a high school teacher, recently retired, while her mother also taught in school.
When not immersed in research, Nilufa pursues her passion for music. A trained Rabindra Sangeet singer, she uploads occasional performances to her YouTube channel.
She credits her success to the constant encouragement from her parents and the guidance of Ramen Kumar Swar, professor of the Bengali department at Burdwan University.