Assam: State Government set to implement Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Aachoni

 Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The office memorandum issued by the Department of Higher Education, Assam, has spelled out details of the ‘Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Aasoni (MMNMA)’ that provides financial assistance as admission incentives to girl students starting from the academic session 2024–25.

According to the office memorandum, the scheme covers girl students of government and provincialized higher institutes, besides 48 venture colleges and 50 denture senior secondary schools. The girl students of such institutions taking admission in the higher secondary first year, graduation (B.A./B.Sc./B.Com.) first year, and post-graduation (M.A./M.Sc./M.Com./B.Ed.) first year get these admission incentives. However, the students of private educational institutions are not eligible to avail themselves of the benefits under this scheme. 

The main objectives of MMNMA are to increase enrollment of girl students in higher education, to increase the percentage of girls educated beyond matriculation, to reduce dropouts among girl students, to increase the overall girl enrolment ratio, and to eliminate the social evil of child marriage. Each eligible girl student enrolled in Class XI will receive an incentive of Rs. 1,000 per month for a maximum of ten months, for a total of Rs. 10,000 per year.

An incentive of Rs. 1,250 per month for a maximum of ten months, resulting in a total of Rs. 12,500 per year, will be paid to each of the eligible girl students enrolled in graduation first year in B.A., B.Sc., and B.Com.

An incentive of Rs. 2,500 per month over a period of maximum up to ten months, resulting in a total of Rs. 25,000 per year, will be paid to each of the eligible girl students enrolled in the post-graduation first year in M.A., M.Sc., M.Com., and B.Ed.

No incentive will be paid during summer vacation or any such vacation for more than one month.

For the academic session 2024–25, the benefits can be availed of for only nine months.

The scheme will not be effective during the months of June and July every year. The incentive is meant for all eligible girl students domiciled in Assam, irrespective of their economic status. Married girls will not be eligible for the scheme, except those in the P.G. and B.Ed. categories.

In-service girls admitted to the B.Ed. course on deputation will not be eligible for the scheme. Daughters of ministers, MPs, and MLAs are not eligible for the Nijut Moina scheme.

The girl students who receive scooters as part of the Banikanta Kakati Award under the Pragyan Bharati Scheme shall not be eligible for this scheme. However, if any girl opts out of receiving the scooter, she can apply for the Nijut Moina scheme.

The Higher Education Department’s mobility grant scheme provides financial incentives to postgraduate students admitted to state universities, government colleges, provincialized colleges, and government model colleges.

The scheme has now been merged with the Nijut Moina scheme. There will be no separate mobility grant scheme henceforth.

State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, while presenting the annual budget for the financial year 2024–25, announced that 10 lakh girls (one million—Nijut Moina) will be supported with a financial grant as an admission incentive to continue their education to higher secondary, graduation, and post-graduation studies.

Also Read: Assam Government Launches ‘Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina’ Scheme to Empower Girl Students (sentinelassam.com)

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