Assam: Nijut Moina Scheme Will Help Contain Child Marriage, Says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Launching the Nijut Moina scheme, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spelled out that besides extending financial assistance to girl students for higher education, the scheme will serve two other vital purposes: empowering women's education and containing child marriages.

The Chief Minister said, "This scheme will increase girls' enrollment in higher education and cut their dropout rate. Education is the key weapon to contain the practice of child marriage. A girl undergoing higher education for two or three years will automatically prevent teenage pregnancy."

Citing the survey report of National Family Health from 2019-2021, the Chief Minister said, "Around 31 percent of girls become mothers at the age of 20-24 in Assam.

In districts like South Salmara and Dhubri, over 50 percent of girls get married at the age of 18. Even there are records of girls at the age of 13 becoming mothers.

The state government took several measures to contain child marriages, and education is the key weapon in this crusade. Girls generally get married, mostly when they drop out of school or college.

There are also parents who cannot send their daughters to higher education due to poverty. This scheme will serve the interests of such girls and their parents the best."

The chief minister said, "This scheme aims at providing financial assistance to ten lakh girl students in four years. For this, we need Rs 1,500 crore. A girl reading in higher secondary first year will get assistance at the rate of Rs 1,000 per month for ten months a year, Rs 1,250 per month for a girl reading in degree first year for ten months a year, and Rs 2,500 per month for a girl reading in master's degree first year and B.Ed. first year for ten months a year. Only the girl students reading in government and venture institutions can avail of this benefit."

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