Child marriage received final nail in its coffin: CM
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday started the process of disbursing monthly financial assistance under Nijut Moina across the state, presenting cheques to the girl students of Kamrup (M), Kamrup and Morigaon districts at a function held at Khanapara. The Chief Minister presented cheques to 24384 eligible girl students from these districts.
The Chief Minister said, “On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, our tirade against child marriage has entered into a decisive phase as we began disbursing monthly financial assistance under Nijut Moina. On 11th of every month, our daughter will receive fixed payments to be in college or universities”. The CM stated that past efforts has steered the government in the direction it has taken today. He also said that studies have demonstrated how Assam’s crackdown on child marriage has arrested maternal and infant mortality rate. With the launching of Nijut Moina, the final nail was driven in the coffin of child marriage, he said, while elaborating on his plans for eradicating child marriage by 2026.
Besides putting an end to the social evil of child marriage, the scheme will help lower the dropout rate among girl students, while benefitting the meritorious girl students from backward, poor and middle class communities.
The CM said that in the next three years, the scheme will include 10 lakh beneficiaries. This explains the origin of the scheme’s name, he stated. In Assamese, ‘Nijut Moina’ means ten lakh girls.
In the next month, the girl students from venture colleges and those studying by their own resources in provincialised colleges will be included in the scheme, the CM added.
He further said that plans were being made to introduce schemes to provide incentives to male students also.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister termed 6 October as a historic day for girls education. Though girls’ education in the state started way back in 1935, the same seems to have received a new momentum through the Nijut Moina scheme, he emphasized.
Moreover, the Chief Minister said that launched on 8 August, 2024, the initiative will be a game changer to fight child marriage. He said that Nijut Moina incentivises positive social outcomes, funds and support higher education, reduces family expenses and stops child marriage by encouraging girls continue their higher education.
Regarding the scheme, the CM said that Nijut Moina envisaged to cover 10 lakh students with an outlay of Rs. 1500 crore. In the first year, over 1.6 lakh girls will get Rs. 240 crore. To be able to be qualified for Nijut Moina scheme, a girl student has to be regular in her classes, she has to be disciplined and perform good results. A girl student needs to be unmarried till P.G level and daughters of Ministers, MPs and MLAs will not be entitled to this scheme.
Pointing out to problems responsible for some students discontinuing studies, the Chief Minister said that through the schemes like distribution of bicycles to students of Class IX, free enrolment of girls from Class XI to Post Graduate level, free text books to the students of Class IX and X, scooty for the girl students in recognition of their good results in Higher Secondary, the state government has been trying to help the students and incentivise their studies.
As a part of the scheme, monthly financial assistance will be given to girl students from HS to PG level in government and government aided educational institutions. Financial support will be given for 10 months in an academic year. A student in HS First year will be entitled to Rs. 10 thousand that is Rs. 1 thousand every month for 10 months. A student at graduate level will be entitled to Rs. 12,500 that is Rs. 1250 every month and PG level student will be entitled to 25,000 that is Rs. 2500 every month for 10 months in a year. In the next three years, State government has set the target of incorporating 10 lakh students under the scheme. An elaborate programme has been organized in all Legislative Assembly Constituencies across the state for presenting cheques.
Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika, MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. KK Dwivedi, and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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