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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday launched the distribution of application forms for the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Monia Scheme and Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Scheme at a central programme held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. At the same programme, the Chief Minister also disbursed Rs 15.86 crore via DBT to 793 flood-affected schools across Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat and launched financial assistance of over Rs 4.26 crore from the CMRF for 21,025 students in Sivasagar and Charaideo to purchase educational materials after the recent floods. Of the amount, Rs 11.00 crore has been allocated to 550 schools of Sivasagar, Rs 2.22 crore to 111 schools, Rs 2.06 crore to 103 schools of Jorhat and Rs 0.58 crore to 29 schools of Golaghat district. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said, "Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes are built to encourage serious learning and academic commitment. Our goal is for these students to become role models who inspire others to study hard and aim high".
He moreover said that the primary objective behind launching the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Scheme is to eradicate child marriage and that this remains the Government's foremost priority. He also noted that since child marriage is not an issue affecting boys in the same way, the assistance under the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Scheme has been kept comparatively lower. Chief Minister Sarma said that the Nijut Moina Scheme was introduced with the objective of covering 10 lakh girl students across the State. During 2024-25, 1.60 lakh girls benefited from the scheme. Following its expansion in 2025-26, the number of beneficiaries increased to four lakh. During the current financial year, an additional one lakh girls are expected to be brought under the scheme. He further said that the Nijut Babu Scheme, which benefited 50,000 boys last year, will include an additional 70,000 students this year, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 1.20 lakh. He also announced that girl students pursuing Polytechnic courses and those studying in the seventh semester of integrated postgraduate programmes would also be eligible for financial assistance under the Nijut Moina Scheme from this year. Explaining why the financial assistance under the Nijut Moina Scheme is higher than that of the Nijut Babu Scheme, the Chief Minister said that the former was introduced primarily to prevent child marriage by ensuring that financial constraints do not compel parents to marry off their daughters at an early age. Since child marriage is not an issue in the case of boys, the Nijut Babu Scheme has been introduced as a gesture of encouragement for male students. He emphasised that only students who attend classes regularly, remain disciplined, show commitment to their studies and maintain good academic conduct will be eligible to receive benefits under both the schemes. He moreover said that the schemes aim to encourage discipline and regular attendance in educational institutions. He also assured that the amount of assistance under the Nijut Moina Scheme would be enhanced in the future, as the Government seeks to reduce the financial burden on parents regarding their children's education. The Chief Minister clarified that financial assistance under both schemes is provided only during the period when colleges remain in session. Students admitted in August will receive payments for both August and September on October 10. He urged students to submit only Aadhaar-linked bank account details and complete the e-KYC process to ensure uninterrupted transfer of benefits. Referring to the Government's assistance for educational institutions and students affected by the floods in Upper Assam, Sarma said that many schools had either suffered structural damage or become unusable due to accumulated silt and mud. While disaster response generally focuses on relief measures, the present Government has also prioritised education and restoration of educational infrastructure. (ANI)
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