Assam Government waives admission fees for all students

FREE EDUCATION

* 17 schools scoring zero pass percentage in HSLC exams to be closed down

* SOP ready to reopen educational institutions

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Admissions into the degree colleges, universities, medical and engineering colleges and other institutions which fall under jurisdiction of the Assam Government will be completely free of cost for the next academic year expected to start from August. The new admission rule will be applicable for all students irrespective of their financial backgrounds.

Making the announcement regarding free admission during a press conference held at Janata Bhawan here on Sunday afternoon, Education & Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the move aims at providing financial relief to parents and guardians hit by the COVID-driven lockdown. He said that colleges, universities and other institutions under the government will not be able to charge any kind of fee from students while admitting students from higher secondary to postgraduate level.

"Let me very categorical and tell principals of colleges and heads of other institutions that free admission implies that students will not pay any kind of fee. Colleges and universities will not be allowed even to charge Saraswati puja fee and /magazine fee. If any principal is found charging any kind of fee, he or she will face exemplary punishment. Free admission means complete absence of fee," the Education Minister said.

Sarma added that the admission forms for colleges, universities and other institutions will have a column to enable students to mention their bank accounts. He said the government will return monthly mess dues of Rs 1,000 of boarders to their bank accounts. He said the government will transfer Rs 1,000 to bank accounts of degree students to purchase books.

Congratulating the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) for declaring the HSLC/AHM results digitally for the first time, Minister Sarma expressed happiness over the performance of the Assamese-medium government schools. He said while 109 government schools have performed 100 per cent pass percentage, 503 schools have scored pass percentage between 90% and 100%.

Sarma, however, said that 17 schools which have scored zero pass percentage in the HSLC exams results, will be closed down. The teachers working in these schools will be transferred to other schools, he said.

On the issue of reopening of educational institutions particularly schools, the Minister said the government has prepared a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in this regard. He said the State Government will place the SOP before the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry during an important meeting through video conferencing scheduled to be held on Monday.

"The SOP stipulates that the government will go for phase-wise restarting classes in schools. We cannot call students to schools at a time to maintain social distancing norms. First we are planning to restart higher classes. But we will wait for the Union Home Ministry's node before taking any decision," Sarma said.  

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