Assam Cabinet approves new girls’ scholarship; budget for renovating 126 schools

NEW DELHI: The Assam Cabinet, on Wednesday, approved the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina, a flagship scholarship scheme for providing financial support to girl students, and sanctioned Rs 8 crore each for renovating and upgrading 126 Assamese-medium schools.

The Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina was first announced by the finance minister Ajanta Neog on February 12 during his Budget speech. Under this scheme, girl students in Class 11 will receive Rs 1,000 per month for 10 months, students in first year of graduation will receive Rs 1,250 per month for 10 months and students in first year postgraduation will receive Rs 2,500 per month for 10 months. However, girl students studying in private institutions are excluded from the scheme. The form distribution for the scheme will begin from July in colleges and September in universities.

The cabinet also decided to reduce the scholarship amount for Anundoram Borooah Award from Rs 15,000 to Rs 10,000. As per the award, students who score more than 75% in Class 12 will be provided a one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 that has now been reduced to Rs 10,000. Speaking in October 2023, Assam chief minister Himant Biswa Sarma had said that the scope of the award will be increased to include students from Classes 5, 8, and 10 from this year.

Upgrading Assamese schools

The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 8 crore each for renovating and upgrading 126 Assamese medium schools as part of the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s earlier announcement of modernising 500 Assamese schools.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in February 2024, had announced that Rs 4,000 crore will be set aside for modernising Assamese medium schools. Sarma, announcing the Cabinet decision, said that efforts to modernise and renovate schools are ongoing in 250 Assamese schools already. The latest Cabinet decision will take that figure upto 376 schools.

“The government is investing Rs 7 to 8 crore each to renovate and modernise 500 Assamese medium schools. Until now 250 schools are currently work in progress. We’ve now sanctioned 126 more schools now. This means 376 schools have been covered as per my announcement. 126 more schools will be announced next year with which my announcement of 500s schools will be met. These are existing schools that will be renovated,” said Sarma.

The Assam chief minister said that he aims to complete renovating 500 schools this term and then make a target to upgrade 1,000 more schools in the next term.