Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 21 (HBTV): Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday presented appointment letters to 377 TET and TET-cum-Recruitment qualified candidates from the Tea Tribe and Adivasi communities at a program held at Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
With this, the total number of government recruitments in Assam since 2021 has reached 1,35,376 through a fully transparent and merit-based process. At the same programme, Dr Sarma also handed over funds to educational institutions to waive fees for students from BPL families admitted to Higher Secondary First and Second Year, as well as four-year undergraduate courses, for the academic year 2025-26.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sarma said the government has fulfilled the promises made during the 2021 Assembly election campaign. He said that although the commitment was to appoint one lakh youth to government jobs, 1,35,376 candidates have been appointed through a transparent process. He added that this figure pertains only to regular posts under the Assam government and excludes contract-based appointments under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Health Mission.
He noted that distributing appointment letters at public events is intended to inspire young people to work hard and secure government jobs. Citing the low number of successful candidates from the Tea Tribe community, he said that even 75 years after Independence, no educational institutions beyond primary schools had been set up in tea garden areas.
To address this, the government initiated the establishment of Model Higher Secondary Schools in tea gardens. Dr Sarma said 120 such schools have already been set up and construction of 100 more will begin in January. With Assam having around 800 tea gardens, approximately 200 schools have been planned, with more to be built if needed. He said the government will ensure that students in tea garden areas can pursue education up to Class XII in these schools and that seats will be reserved for Tea Tribe students in colleges located in tea garden areas.
The Chief Minister said teacher posts in Model Higher Secondary Schools will be reserved for candidates belonging to the Tea Tribe community to ensure students are taught in a familiar language. He added that a 3 per cent reservation has been introduced for Adivasi and Tea Tribe communities in all Grade III and Grade IV jobs under the OBC category, and reservations will also be extended to Grade I and Grade II government jobs.
Calling this transformation a ‘silent revolution’, he said it is a revolution that improves people’s lives without agitations or protests. He noted that earlier, no demands had been raised for reservations for the Tea Tribe community, for high schools in tea garden areas, or for granting land ownership rights to workers living in labour lines. The government has now reserved three MBBS seats for Tea Tribe students in medical colleges, with plans to produce 50 doctors annually from the community and provide 250 seats in paramedical courses.
Dr Sarma highlighted initiatives under the Shaheed Dayal Das Panika Self-Employment Scheme, financial grants for pregnant women working in tea gardens as wage compensation, and the establishment of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to improve healthcare services. He said these measures have significantly improved the lives of the Tea Tribe community over the last five years.
He compared the teacher appointments to planting saplings that will grow into banyan trees in the coming years. With land ownership rights granted to tea garden workers, he said many children from these communities will explore opportunities beyond traditional tea garden work. He urged the newly appointed teachers to serve in tea garden schools and guide the next generation. He also announced strict measures to prevent individuals from other communities from securing benefits meant for the Tea Tribe through fraudulent documents.
The Chief Minister said that with free admissions and the Nijut Moina scheme, girl students now receive INR 1,000 per month from the government. He said the government has prioritised education, leading to higher enrolment in public schools. He added that after the establishment of Model Higher Secondary Schools in tea garden areas, several other communities have requested similar institutions, reflecting trust in public education.
He said the government has spent INR 8–10 crore on constructing each school and built nearly 1,000 new High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools. He said initiatives such as free bicycles, scooters for girl students, free admissions, monthly stipends under Nijut Moina, and waiver of examination fees for HSLC and Higher Secondary exams have created a safety net for poor and middle-class students.
Dr Sarma said no student in Assam now needs to drop out due to financial constraints and that Assam has emerged as one of India’s leading states in educational investment.
Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, Cooperation Minister Jogen Mohan, Tea Tribe and Adivasi Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Sanjay Kishan, Rupjyoti Kurmi, Terash Gowala, Diganta Ghatowal, and senior officers of the Education Department were present at the programme.
(ANI)