GUWAHATI: Education Minister Ranuj Pegu flagged off vehicles carrying free textbooks, including bilingual (English and vernacular) textbooks for Mathematics and General Science for Classes VI and VII, to the districts at a function at Bonda in the Narengi in Guwahati today.
Speaking after the flagging off, the minister said, "According to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the government has to provide free textbooks to the students from Ka Shreni to Class VIII. However, we also included the students of classes IX to XII as beneficiaries of the free textbooks. The state government has borne this extra expenditure of Rs 80 crore from its own exchequer for the students of classes IX to XII."
The minister said, "Since the State Government decided to teach mathematics and general science in English, we have printed these two textbooks for classes VI and VII in both English and vernacular languages."
The minister said, "Now on, schools will get free textbooks, mid-day meals, and uniforms based on the attendance of students. The Shiksha Setu App keeps a close watch on the attendance of students and other activities with divine vision (divya drishti). Gone are the days when Assam took cues from other states. The present dispensation in the state under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been setting trends on all fronts in order to take the state forward."
The department sent 3,14,70,129 free textbooks for 54,67,731 students from Ka Shreni to Class XI for the academic session 2024-25 today in the presence of Assam State Textbook Production and Publication Corporation Ltd. chairman Devananda Hazarika, vice chairman Tulsi Barthakur, SEBA chairman RC Jain, and SSA Mission Director Dr. Om Prakash.
Also Read: IIT- Guwahati plans EDPs in collaboration with state varsities
Also Watch: