He said the Nijut Babu scheme was introduced in response to requests from male students. After its launch, the number of male beneficiaries had doubled, which the government viewed as a sign of increased enrolment in schools and colleges.
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New Update
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday distributed cheques for the first instalment of the 2026 academic year under the Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes to nearly five lakh students at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
Addressing the gathering, Sarma said he was happy that the government could extend support to male students alongside girls through the two schemes. He said the initiatives were aimed at encouraging students to continue their education and helping Assam build a stronger human resource base.
The chief minister said the state government had been campaigning against child marriage for the past five years and claimed that the Nijut Moina scheme had helped increase girls’ enrolment in educational institutions while contributing to a decline in child marriage.
He said the Nijut Babu scheme was introduced in response to requests from male students. After its launch, the number of male beneficiaries had doubled, which the government viewed as a sign of increased enrolment in schools and colleges.
Sarma said the government was encouraged by the growing number of beneficiaries under the two schemes, unlike other welfare programmes where an increase in beneficiaries could raise concerns about the scale of need.
However, he urged students not to depend on financial assistance alone and stressed the importance of attending college regularly. He said students could not fulfil their aspirations simply by receiving scheme benefits without attending classes.
“Students must attend college regularly to remain eligible for the benefits under the scheme,” the chief minister said.
Sarma also said Assam had made progress in improving its education system and infrastructure, but the state now needed skilled human resources to sustain its development.
He added that the Assam government had consistently focused on relevant education to help students prepare for future opportunities.
In another announcement, the chief minister said nursing students would be included under the scheme from the next academic year. He also said the government was considering increasing the financial assistance provided under the initiatives.