The first meeting of the Continuing Orthopaedic Education (COE) was held in 1983 in Patna. Professor B. Mukhopadhaya, who started this course along with some of his close friends and senior colleagues, was very aware that in India, once a doctor had completed his Orthopaedic post-graduation, there was very little opportunity to further his education. Courses in India were infrequent, there was no internet at the time, libraries containing important journals were restricted to a few medical institutions, and it was very expensive to travel abroad to attend courses and update one's knowledge.

During his travels to the United States and other countries, he recognized the importance of Orthopaedic surgeons remaining updated with recent developments in the field and observed that many opportunities existed abroad for continuing education.

The fundamental objective of the course was to select a specific topic and discuss it comprehensively so that doctors attending the programme would gain meaningful knowledge. Over the subsequent years, many senior Orthopaedic surgeons from across India became actively involved in this annual event. Dr. Sailendra Bhattacharya from Kolkata, Professor Verghese Chacko from Manipal, Professor P. K. Sethi from Jaipur, Professor A. K. Das from Kolkata, Professor K. Siram from Chennai, and Professor Kathju from Jaipur all contributed significantly to the annual courses, which were hosted in different cities every year.

The courses gradually became extremely popular, and many surgeons considered the COE an annual academic event that they would never miss.

Professor D. K. Taneja became actively associated with the course from its second year and further expanded its scope by introducing dedicated courses for DNB students and Operation Theatre (OT) Technicians, which have become increasingly popular and continue to be conducted regularly.

Over the years, India has witnessed the rapid growth of numerous educational programmes in different branches of Orthopaedic surgery. The advent of the internet has transformed medical education, and today many fellowships are available for young surgeons both within India and abroad.

The COE has also evolved over time. It has gradually become more focused and compact, and today it is conducted as a one-and-a-half-day programme instead of the original four-day format. Nevertheless, it continues to remain a highly focused educational course. This year's programme is dedicated to Upper Limb Trauma, featuring distinguished faculty members from across India and, hopefully, a few international faculty members. The programme is being held in Kaziranga, Assam, under the able leadership of Dr. Satyajit Borah from Tezpur.

Many of these legendary teachers, including Professor B. Mukhopadhaya, are unfortunately no longer with us today.

We are confident that this will be a valuable educational programme for Orthopaedic surgeons from across the country, especially from the North-Eastern region of India.

Dear All,

We take pride in the fact that Assam has got an opportunity to organize the 36^th Edition of the Continuing Orthopaedic Education (COE) Programme conducted by the Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation of India (OREF). In fact, it is the second time Assam is organizing this highly rated academic programme after the successful COE-2012 held at Guwahati in 2012. This time, the venue has been chosen as Kaziranga, the World Heritage biodiversity hotspot famous for the One-Horned Rhinoceros, unique to Assam.

Conceived by Padmabhushan Prof. B. Mukhopadhaya, the legendary Orthopaedic Surgeon of India way back in 1983, the Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation (OREF) of India has, over the years, made COE a very popular academic programme in India, especially for young Orthopaedic surgeons.

We believe the seclusion in the virgin wilderness of Kaziranga will provide the perfect ambience for the 36^th COE to be held on 13^th and 14^th November. The Organising Committee will make every effort to make this academic fiesta a memorable one. The Scientific Committee will also put in its best efforts to curate an academic agenda keeping in mind the very objective of OREF India—to help young Orthopaedic surgeons acquire the skills and surgical tips they deserve, update their knowledge in decision-making, and understand complex topics in a simpler way.

We extend a hearty and warm invitation to all of you to the 36^th COE Kaziranga.

We assure all of you that the renowned Assamese hospitality, which many of you may not yet have experienced, awaits you at COE 2026 in full bloom.

On behalf of the Organising Team: