In a significant step towards promoting higher education in the State, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma disbursed ₹68.44 cr to 349 institutions under the first phase of the Pragyan Bharati scheme at Janata Bhawan last month.
This will pave the way for higher education of one lakh students under the State Government’s policy to ensure free higher education to poor and middle-class students. In 2016-17, the State Government introduced the fees waiver scheme to help students pursue their higher education.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that with an aim to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education in the State, Pragyan Bharati scheme was launched in 2016-17. Subsequently, the scheme has been replicated to cover students in higher secondary and postgraduate courses.
The Chief Minister said that under the scheme, besides the 1,38,085 students in the inaugural academic session in 2016-17, a total of 2,94,633 students benefited in 2023-24.
On the use of technology for admission in institutions of higher education, the Chief Minister said that 2,28,399 students applied under ‘Samarth Portal’ for admission of which 85.2% were admitted. He said that technology and AI will have a great role to play in the future in education. “Using this technology in Samarth Portal, the Government has attempted to make the admission process transparent, and hassle-free,” he told the media.
“This year, admissions of students in our colleges were the most transparent. Everything about the students’ admission process was on time. Discipline in administrative works comes with the use of technology.”
The Chief Minister asserted that technological integration is inevitable and crucial for future governance. “The use of AI and technology cannot be stopped, and they are playing a big role in the education sector in the State,” added the Chief Minister.
On the success of ‘Samarth’, the Chief Minister informed the media that Education Ministers from Bihar and Goa visited the State to understand the success of the admission process.
The Chief Minister stated that the State Government has taken a series of steps for the intellectual development of the students. He cited free enrolment, free bicycle and Scooty distribution to Nijut Moina scheme due to which enrolments have gone up in recent times. Recalling his student days in the Cotton College (now university), he described the financial ordeal faced by a section of students while paying fees. This, he said, prompted him to implement the idea of free admission to BPL students besides those in the lower and middle-income groups.
Previously, students with a parental annual income of up to ₹2 lakh were eligible for free admission, which has been raised to ₹4 lakh this year. Colleges now allow ration cards as proof of family earnings instead of income certificates previously used.
The Chief Minister said that the disbursals under Pragyan Bharati has been made under Phase I as rest of the eligible admissions like CUET and others will be entitled to the financial benefits under the scheme in the month of September.
“The next round of spot admission and 3rd and 5th semester fee waivers for CUET and non-CUET candidates will be disbursed in September,” said Dr. Sarma.
