Government is committed to make higher education accessible to all: Assam CM

Acting on the government’s commitment to make higher education accessible to poorest of poor students of the state, the Assam CM on Saturday distributed cheques to colleges for giving free admission in Higher Secondary  and Degree 1st year to students with annual income of below one lakh rupees at a function held at Rabindra Bhawan in the city. 

Terming that education gives knowledge and knowledge is power, Sonowal said that creating a generation of students with strong ideals is the prime objective this government and for that purpose teachers must play a proactive role.

“Economic barriers have always pushed many poor but meritorious students away from the higher education system and the government has acted strongly to remove this barrier,” Sonowal said. 

Saying that this step of the government to make higher education accessible to the underprivileged students would go a long way in revolutionizing the higher education scenario in the state, Sonowal said that people’s faith on the government’s capability to deliver on its promises would be bolstered further.

As there is a huge gap in number of students registering for Matriculation and Higher Secondary Examinations due to economic reasons, Sonowal said that the government is mulling abolishing all fees for registration for both the examinations.

Minister for Education, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that government is committed to the people of the state to deliver on its promises and it would act tough against those government officials found neglecting their duties.

Informing that a total of 1, 38, 085 students could take free admission in 301 colleges during the current year because of exemption of admission fees under this prorgamme, Sarma said that a total amount of Rs 43,97,13,324 has been released to the colleges as refund for giving free admission.

Saying that those students who have income above 1 lakh rupees annually should not try to take advantage of this free admission programme meant for genuine underprivileged students, Sarma said from next year government would take strict measures against such students.

He also informed that from next year even Degree 2nd year admission would be made free and from 2017 students of 9th and 10th standards would get free text books along with the current system of providing free text books upto only 8th standard.

The Assam Education minister informed that in the coming years the free text book scheme would be extended to Higher Secondary and Degree levels.

He also asked the college principals to make their offices and libraries Wi-Fi zones within 45 days, incurred cost of which would be refunded by the government.           

MP Kmakhya Prasad Tasa, Press Advisor to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, Principal Secretary Education Pawan Borthakur, Commissioner and Secretary Higher Education  Ajay Tiwari, Higher Education Director Babulal Sarma were present on the occasion among others.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)