GUWAHATI: In a significant stride towards empowering girls through education, Assam budget has allocated Rs 240 crore in financial grants to support the education of 10 lakh girls in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Monday, highlighting that the allocation has been sanctioned under the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina scheme.
As part of the scheme, each girl student joining Class XI will receive an admission incentive of Rs 10,000, while those enrolling in graduation courses will be provided Rs 12,500. Furthermore, students aspiring to enrol in post-graduation programmes will receive Rs 15,000.
Chief Minister Sarma, in a social media post, highlighted the significance of the initiative, stating, “Assam Budget allocates ₹240 cr to empower girl child education, providing financial grants to 10 lakh girls for higher studies, ensuring brighter futures.”
The initiative aligns with the Centre’s broader vision to prioritise education and empower youth for success and growth.
Earlier, during the interim budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Department of School Education and Literacy allocated Rs 73,498 crore for the fiscal year 2024-25, marking the highest-ever budget for the department.
The interim budget reflects a significant increase of Rs 12,024 crore (19.56%) from the revised estimates of the previous fiscal year.
Apart from financial grants to girl students, under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijaan scheme, the state budget also allocates Rs 1,010 crore to foster entrepreneurship, providing opportunities for over 1 lakh youth.
Micro-entrepreneurs will receive financial support ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in instalments.
Earlier in the day, state Finance Minister Ajanta Neog tabled the state budget for 2024-25, her fourth budget, stressing on its realistic approach to addressing the state’s needs.
Last year, Neog presented a budget with an aggregate expenditure estimated at Rs 3.21 lakh crore for the year.
The budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly will continue till February 28.
