Guwahati: Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, inaugurated the ‘Nijut Moina Scheme’ on 8th August at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur, aiming to increase girls' enrolment in higher education and curb child marriage across the state. The scheme, designed to complement the ongoing ‘free admission’ initiative, offers monthly financial assistance to girl students from Higher Secondary (HS) to Postgraduate (PG) levels in government and government-aided institutions. The financial aid will be provided for 10 months in an academic year, with HS first-year students receiving Rs. 10,000 annually, undergraduate students Rs. 12,500, and postgraduate students Rs. 25,000. The assistance will be directly transferred to the beneficiaries' bank accounts starting from October 10, 2024.
Addressing the gathering, CM Sarma emphasized that the Nijut Moina Scheme carries a strong social message aimed at eradicating child marriage. He highlighted data from the National Family Health Survey (2019-21), which revealed that 31.8 percent of women aged 20 to 24 in Assam had become mothers, indicating that many married before the age of 18. The Chief Minister expressed concern over districts like Dhubri and South Salmara, where more than 50 percent of women marry before reaching adulthood, with some becoming mothers as young as 12 or 13 years old.
The Rs.1500 crore scheme is expected to benefit 10 lakh girls over the next four years, with the ultimate goal of ensuring they continue their education. CM Sarma noted that around three lakh girls study up to Class X, but many drop out before completing higher secondary education due to financial constraints. The free admission scheme, launched in 2016, was a step towards addressing this issue.
Additionally, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of vocational education in empowering girls to secure employment, thereby reducing the likelihood of child marriage. Under the Nijut Moina Scheme, students must maintain regular attendance and avoid disciplinary issues like ragging to continue receiving benefits. Moreover, girls who marry during their HS or Degree courses will be ineligible for the scheme. Daughters of MLAs, MPs, and Ministers are also excluded from the benefits.
CM Sarma announced that another operation to combat child marriage would take place in November-December and mentioned that eligible students would receive scooties under the Dr. Banikanta Kakati Merit Award as part of the Pragyan Bharati scheme later this year.
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, PHE Minister Jayanta Mallbaruah, and other dignitaries were present at the event.
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