Assam: 5% quota in MBBS, BE for students schooled in government schools

 OUR BUREAU

GUWAHATI/TINSUKIA: The students schooled in the government schools at a stretch from Class VII to Class XII will get a 5 percent seat reservation for admission to medical and engineering colleges of the state. The State Cabinet that met at Tinsukia with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the chair took the decision this evening, besides a slew of other decisions.

Speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said, “We are setting up medical and engineering colleges in the state. We have also in mind, how students from poor families get admission to such colleges. Taking that in view, the Cabinet today decided to reserve 5 percent seats for the students schooled in government schools at a stretch from Class VII to Class XII.”

On industrial investment in the state, the Chief Minister said, “This government has stressed industrialization in the state. We had three investment proposals amounting to Rs 438 crore. The Cabinet approved all the three proposals – The Indian Hotels Company at Kaziranga, another Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, and Bamboo Crash Barrier Industry in Bongaigaon by Bhavya Shristi Udyog Pvt. Ltd.– today. These three industries are set to create 1,400 jobs.”

The Chief Minister further said, “Assam has no CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) authority. Various industrial groups spend around Rs 25,000 crore all over India annually for CSR activities. However, Assam’s share is around Rs 350 crore only. This Cabinet has decided to set up a CSR authority in the state with an IAS officer as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer). The CSR authority will try to enhance the share of CSR expenditure in the state in consultation with the industries. OIL (Oil India Ltd) and NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Ltd) spend bulk CSR amounts in the state.”

On the issuance of ration cards under the NFSA (National Food Security Act), the Chief Minister said, “According to guidelines, retired government employees cannot avail of ration cards. However, this Cabinet has decided to make retired fourth-grade employees eligible for ration cards.”

On Mission Basundhara, the Chief Minister said, “So far, 2.10 lakh applicants are eligible for land settlement under Mission Basundhara 2.0. This Cabinet has approved land settlement for 4,444 more applicants of Mission Basundhara 2.0 for land settlement.”

On the change in land-related nomenclature, the Chief Minister said, “The state has around 100 categories of land that confuse people. To do away with this confusion, this Cabinet has decided to categorize lands in only five categories.”

On the PF (Provident Fund) issue of ATCL (Assam Tea Corporation Ltd) workers, the Chief Minister said, “We have leased out some of the ATCL gardens. This Cabinet has approved Rs 100 crore for the dues of the garden workers. We will pay the remaining Rs 100 crore next year.”

On the age bar on public prosecutors (PPs) and assistant public prosecutors (APPs), the Chief Minister said, “The government decided to appoint PPs and APPs a few months ago. With request from advocates, we have decided to relax the upper age bar PP and APP up to 45 years for general candidates and 50 years for SC and ST candidates.”

The Cabinet also decided to allot a plot of land to the Chartered Accountants of India in North Guwahati for the establishment of an educational institution.

As is the tradition of Cabinet outside Guwahati, today’s has also taken a few decisions for the development of the Tinsukia district. 

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