Politics
Assam Government to Distribute Bicycles to 3.23 Lakh Students, Says Chief Minister
Assam Government to Distribute Bicycles to 3.23 Lakh Students, Says Chief Minister
The state government of Assam will give bicycles to over 3.23 lakh Class 9 students in state schools. The move, part of efforts to boost school attendance and reduce drop-out rates for older pupils, will cost around Rs 150 crore. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it was also decided that bikes would be provided for the 2024–25 academic year to those studying at government-run secondary and higher secondary schools.
Overall, 323,640 individuals—both boys and girls—are set to benefit from the scheme. Principal Secretary to Assam, Elementary & Secondary Education Dept., said: Regular attendance has been a problem among some children who have reached classes 6-8 (aged 11-14). “These are crucial years, and we do not want them to fall behind or stop going to school,” he said. “One reason they give for dropping out is the distance they have to travel between home and the school itself.”
Along with introducing bicycles, the Chief Minister has said he will build three new polytechnic colleges in Hajo, Majuli, and Tingkhong. The Cabinet has also agreed to a plan that makes an extra £18.3m available for teachers’ pay at schools run by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
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This takes the total approved funding to this end up to £20m. A second initiative benefiting education in Karbi Anglong sees the Cabinet sanction the use of public money to pay the salaries of 131 teachers appointed by the KAAC. In further development, the state government has permitted 451 part-time lecturers to be taken back on so existing vacancies can be filled at government-run engineering colleges and polytechnics throughout Assam. Mr. Sarma said these measures had been designed so that all government-run engineering colleges and polytechnics in Assam could run academic programs without interruption and carry out related activities.
