Assam: Government Directs Colleges to Adopt Villages for Cleanliness Drive

Government aided colleges in Assam have been directed to adopt a village each to promote the cleanliness initiative of the BJP-led government. The decision has been taken by the state government to make the state’s education more accountable and competent.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Education Minister, shed light on the initiative and said that every college will be granted Rs. 5 lakh per year to lead cleanliness programmes. The grant will also be used for conducting adult education and co-curricular activities in village adopted by the respective college.

The minister also informed that the promotions of teachers will be done on the basis of work done for the development of villages. New appointments and government funds will not be provided to institutions that fail to work for their adopted villages, he added.

The colleges have also been asked to develop websites, conduct monthly meetings to discuss progress and provide pictures as proof of the work done. The 400,000 first year graduation and higher secondary students whose fees were waived will also upload pictures while planting saplings.

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Based on the student's work, they will be granted fee waiver in the second year. The fee for these students was waived as their family income is no more than Rs. 1 lakh annually.

The government is also planning to improve sports infrastructure and promote cultural programmes in the colleges of Assam. Rs 20 lakh will be granted to each government college in the state for the development or improvement of playgrounds.

Sarma also added that teachers’ and principals’ posts vacant in colleges will be filled by the end on March 2018. The government has also prohibited government teachers from conducting private tuitions and working at private educational institutions.

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Colleges have also been asked to provide coaching and guidance for the preparation of competitive exams. The new norms will be applicable for 7 government institutes as well as 295 provincialised colleges in Assam.