The Assam government has approved Rs 108 crore to reimburse colleges and universities under its admission fee waiver scheme, while increasing the financial assistance for families of deceased Samagra Shiksha employees from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh.
The decisions were taken at the state Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Among other key proposals cleared were a collaboration with IIT Guwahati's Research Park to develop teaching materials for primary school students and the merger of Krishna Kanta Handiqui Sanskrit College in Guwahati with Bhaskar Varman Sanskrit University in Nalbari.
The Rs 108-crore allocation will be used to compensate educational institutions for admission fees waived for students belonging to families below the prescribed income limit. Under the scheme, eligible students are not required to pay admission fees, with the government reimbursing the colleges and universities concerned.
The Cabinet also approved the enhanced ex-gratia amount for Samagra Shiksha employees who die in service. The assistance has been increased to Rs 7.5 lakh from the existing Rs 5 lakh, as proposed in the state Budget.
On healthcare coverage, the government approved Rs 2 crore towards its share under the Ayushman Bharat-linked scheme. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Centre's assistance covers approximately 30 lakh families, while the Assam government bears the cost of healthcare coverage for around 40 lakh additional families.
In the education sector, the Cabinet cleared a proposal to involve IIT Guwahati's Research Park in developing Teaching-Learning Materials (TLM) for students of Grades 1 and 2.
So far, these materials have been procured from private vendors through tenders and subsequently supplied to schools. The new arrangement will see the government and the IIT Guwahati Research Park work together on developing learning resources, particularly in literacy and numeracy.
The materials will include resources to help young students understand basic mathematics, geometry and English. The Chief Minister said the collaboration would allow the state to develop learning materials suited to the needs of children rather than depending entirely on commercially procured products.
Another significant decision concerned Krishna Kanta Handiqui Sanskrit College in Guwahati, which will now be merged with Bhaskar Varman Sanskrit University in Nalbari.
Explaining the move, Sarma said the college currently has around 37 students, while the university has a much larger student population. Following the merger, the college will be relocated to the university campus in Nalbari.
The existing students will be accommodated at the university, and the college's professors will be absorbed into its faculty. The Chief Minister also said the name of noted scholar Krishna Kanta Handiqui would be retained and used for another educational institution.
Apart from administrative and education-related decisions, the Cabinet discussed preparations for the November 29 programme marking the birth anniversary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika.
Sarma said the government would take stock of the arrangements after Diwali. He added that Tuesday's meeting was largely focused on routine Cabinet matters, along with preparations for the upcoming programme.
