Assam CM distributes scooters to meritorious students

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday distributed scooters to meritorious students who scored at least 60 per cent and 75 per cent respectively in the Class 12 state board examinations.

Guwahati, Nov 30: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday distributed scooters to meritorious students who scored at least 60 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively, in the Class 12 state board examinations. Instituted in the memory of the great litterateur and linguist Dr Banikanta Kakati, the award entered its sixth year with 35,770 students receiving the two-wheelers under the scheme in 2023.

Empowering Youth Through Education

Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that empowering the youth through education has been one of the commitments of the state government. "I sincerely hope that the scooters presented in recognition of good academic performance by the students will motivate them to do better in the future," he said. Out of the total students receiving the scooters, 30,203 are girls, who secured the first division, and 5,567 are boys, who got 75 per cent and above in the class 12 examinations conducted by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) in 2023. The estimated financial outlay earmarked for the scheme is Rs 259.54 crore.

Extending More Helping Hands to Students

Reiterating his commitment to extending more helping hands to the student community, the chief minister said his government would take many more student-friendly steps to help them pursue their studies without any deprivation. Sarma also said his government has accorded the highest priority to human resource development. The scheme to give scooters was launched in 2017 to encourage students to pursue higher studies.

Expanding the Ambit of Pragyan Bharati Scheme

Sarma said that Assam's Pragyan Bharati scheme has been intended to subsidise household expenditure on higher education, and the ambit of this programme in the coming days will be expanded to bring free scooters, free textbooks and subsidised hostel fees.

The Assam government's initiative to distribute scooters to meritorious students is a commendable effort to encourage and support higher education among the youth. This scheme, along with others like Pragyan Bharati, will go a long way in making quality education accessible and affordable for students from all backgrounds. By investing in the education of its young citizens, Assam is building a brighter future for the state.