Assam Govt to give scooters to nearly 36,000 meritorious students

GUWAHATI: The Assam government will distribute scooters among nearly 36,000 meritorious students, mostly girls, who have passed this year's higher secondary examinations.

A proposal for implementing the programme at a cost of Rs 258.9 crore was passed by the state cabinet on Wednesday, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu told reporters after its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Total 35,800 students -- 29,748 girls who secured first division and 6,052 boys who secured 75 per cent marks -- will get the scooters, he said.

The Department of Higher Education will also provide financial assistance for registration and insurance to the students, he added. The cabinet also decided to hike the monthly remuneration of assistant professors working for fixed pay in provincialised colleges to Rs 55,000, the minister said.

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The cabinet decided on the guidelines for issuing certificates to hill tribes in plains and plain tribes in hills, Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said.

The caste certificates will be issued by the deputy commissioners under 'Mission Bhumiputra' to help them avail economic, educational and employment benefits provided by the state government, he said. To boost tourism, it was also decided that a hotel will be developed in Kaziranga by the Hyatt Group, Baruah said.