Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ceremonially presented scooters under the Pragyan Bharati scheme to the girls and boys scoring 60 and 75 per cent, respectively, in the Higher secondary examinations.
The event was held at the Veterinary College field in Khanapara, Guwahati, on November 30.
The award, instituted in memory of great litterateur and linguist Banikanta Kakati, entered its sixth year as 35770 students were given scooters under the scheme in 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that empowering the youth through education has been one of the commitments of the State Government. Therefore, the Government, fulfilling its commitment to providing seamless facilities to the students to pursue their studies, started the process of handing over scooters to meritorious students who secured 60 and 75 per cent in higher secondary examinations in 2023, respectively, the CM said.
“I sincerely hope the scooty presented in recognition of the good academic performance of the students will motivate them to do better in the future as well,” CM Himanta Biswa Sarma added.
My tenure as Education Minister taught me that rewarding academic excellence should be the corner stone of an inclusive education policy.
The 35,770 scooties distributed by our govt today to outstanding students stands as a profound symbol of recognition to merit and hard work. pic.twitter.com/rsKuInNt9Z
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 30, 2023
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also gave a brief overview of Kakati, who contributed immensely to the language in terms of literature, linguistics, and cultural anthropology. Therefore, by helping the meritorious students in the State pursue their studies, the Government is paying rich homage to Kakati, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma added.He also asked the students to concentrate on their work and strive to reach their targets, irrespective of any obstacle, to bring laurels to the State as well as the nation.
Reiterating his Government’s commitment to provide more helping hands to the student community, the Chief Minister said that his Government would dole out many more student-friendly steps to help them pursue their studies without any deprivation.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that Assam’s Pragyan Bharati scheme has also been intended to subsidise household expenditure on higher education. Therefore, the scope of this scheme in the coming days will be expanded to include free scooters, free textbooks and subsidised hostel fees.
It may be noted that for the current financial year 2023-24, the Government of Assam has decided to provide scooters to 35,770 eligible students, of which 30,203 are girl students who secured first division, and 5,567 are boy students who secured above 75 per cent and above in the Higher Secondary Examination conducted by the AHSEC during the year 2023.
The estimated financial outlay earmarked for the scheme is Rs 25954.29 lakh.
(with inputs from ANI)
