Guwahati, Aug 6 (PTI) The Assam government on Thursday launched the application process for its flagship ‘Nijut Moina’ and ‘Nijut Babu’ schemes, while also disbursing financial assistance for flood-affected schools and students in the state’s eastern districts.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma formally launched the distribution of application forms for the two stipend schemes at a function here.
On the occasion, he also transferred Rs 15.86 crore to 793 flood-affected schools in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts.
Sarma also announced financial assistance of over Rs 4.26 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for 21,025 students in Sivasagar and Charaideo to help them purchase educational materials lost in the recent floods.
“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 said.
The CM said the primary objective of the ‘Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Scheme’ was to eradicate child marriage and that it remained the government’s foremost priority.
Since child marriage does not affect boys in the same manner, the financial assistance under the ‘Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Scheme’ has been kept comparatively lower, he added.
The chief minister said the Nijut Moina Scheme was introduced with the aim of covering 10 lakh girl students across the state.
During 2024-25, around 1.6 lakh girl students benefited under the scheme. The number of beneficiaries rose to four lakh after its expansion in 2025-26, and another one lakh girls are expected to be brought under its ambit during the current financial year, he said.
Sarma said the Nijut Babu Scheme, which benefited 50,000 boys last year, would cover an additional 70,000 students this year, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 1.2 lakh.
Under the two schemes, students pursuing higher secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate studies receive financial assistance from the government.
The chief minister also announced that girl students pursuing polytechnic courses and those studying in the seventh semester of integrated postgraduate programmes would become eligible for assistance from this year.
He said only students maintaining regular attendance, discipline and commitment to their studies would be eligible to receive benefits under the schemes.
Sarma also said the financial assistance under the Nijut Moina Scheme would be enhanced in future as the government seeks to reduce the financial burden of education on parents.
He urged students to acquire expertise in an additional subject alongside their primary discipline, saying a conventional undergraduate or postgraduate degree alone would no longer be sufficient in today’s competitive environment.
Expressing concern over low enrolment in science education in Assam, Sarma said society could not progress without greater interest in the subject.
Referring to the recent floods in eastern Assam, he said many schools had suffered structural damage or become unusable due to silt and mud deposits.
He said any delay in restoring academic activities would place students in the affected districts at a disadvantage compared with their counterparts elsewhere in the state.
Schools that have suffered permanent damage would receive additional financial assistance after a detailed assessment, he added. PTI SSG SSG SOM
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