Assam Budget 2022: Key Highlights for the Education Sector

Guwahati: The Finance Minister of Assam, Ajanta Neog has presented the Assam Budget 2022 on Wednesday, 16th March 2022. On this budget, the government has announced several schemes and projects for the upcoming financial year ranging in various sectors from Health to Education, Agriculture, etc. Covering particularly the Educational sector which plays a crucial role in accelerating socio-economic development, here are the key highlights of the announcements being made.

Assam Budget 2022: Educational Infrastructure Funds

Under the Tejasvi Navadhitamastu Edu-Infra Funds (TNEIF), the government has announced several new projects for improving the Educational Sector of the state. A total of six universities have received a fund of Rs. 50 crore each under the NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA). The universities are-

1. Majuli University
2. Rabindranath Tagore University
3. Bhattadev University
4. Madhabdev University
5. Birangana Sati Sadhini State University
6. Anirudhadev Sports University

Also Read: Budget 2022 webinar, PM Modi addresses various aspects of Union Education Budget

With some colleges turning into the big educational hub, the government has also decided to upgrade selected colleges into universities under Assam Budget 2022. The colleges are-

1. Sibsagar College
2. North Lakhimpur College
3. Kokrajhar Government College
4. Hnadique Girl’s College
5. Bongaigaon College
6. Nagaon College
7. Jagannath Barooah College

Scooters for Meritorious Students

Finance Minister Ajanta Neog during the presentation of Assam Budget 2022 has announced that under the Pragyan Bharati Scheme, Assam Government will provide Scooters to all meritorious Boys and Girls under SEBA securing 60% and above in the Higher Secondary Examination. Earlier this facility was only available for girl candidates.

Also under the Pragyan Bharati Scheme, the government has announced to-

• Continue the facility of providing free textbooks and textbook assistance to students up to graduation
• Waive off hostel mess dues upto Rs. 2000 per month for graudation and post- graduation students in degree, medical polythenic colleges
• Free admission to BPL students
• A mobility grant of Rs. 10,000 per year to girl students persuing post graduation courses
• Continue education loan subsidy under the Abhindan Scheme
• Continue Anundoram Borooah award to eligible students passing HSLC

New Medical Colleges in Assam

Along with major developments in the mainframe education sector, the government of Assam has planned a lot for the medical sector as well. The government is planning to set up three new medical colleges in Sivasagar, Karimganj, and Goalpara; along with a super-specialty hospital in IIT Guwahati. While presenting the Assam Budget 2022, Minister Ajanta Neog also informed that the construction work for medical colleges at Dhemaji, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Golaghat, and Tamulpur to start this year.

Also, Government is planning to develop B.Sc. Nursing college and GNM Nursing schools for each medical college. The chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has also recently inaugurated two new medical colleges recently, i.e. Lakhimpur Medical College and Pragjyotishpur Medical College.

Assam Budget 2022: Some Special Announcements

Along with the infrastructural funds and upgradation of colleges to universities, the budget comes with funds allocated for-

• Rs. 25 crore for Start up ecosystem in Gauhati University
• Rs. 15 crore each to Assam University and Tezpur University
• Rs. 25 crore to Assam Agriculutal University for upgrading 9 colleges under it
• Rs. 15 crore to Tata Institute of Social Sciences for Infrastructural boost
• Rs. 10 crore for building Science Block in Haflong College

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