To protect tribal communities’ interests and by the National Education Policy of 2020, the Assam government has decided to introduce six tribal languages as medium of instruction in the foundational stage of school education. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held on February 23 at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, presided over by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
According to the Assam Chief Minister Sarma, six tribal languages—Tiwa, Deori, Rabba, Karbi, and Dimasa—will be introduced as medium of instruction (MoI) in the foundational stage of school education, followed by a regional language. Meanwhile, the state cabinet also passed the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which recognises Manipuri as an Associate Official Language in four districts of the state: Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Hojai.
“Assam Veterinary and Fishery University will be established via bifurcation of the faculty of Veterinary Science, Assam Agriculture University, Khanapara, and the College of Fisheries Science, Raha, from the Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat. The Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur, and the proposed Dairy Science College will be constituent colleges of the proposed university,” Assam Chief Minister Sarma said as quoted by news agency ANI.
The Assam cabinet also approved the guidelines for the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan–Nogoria, which will be implemented in phases by the Assam State Urban Livelihood Mission Society to promote women self-help group (SHG) members as urban women entrepreneurs.
In Phase I, eligible SHG members will get Rs 10,000 as an Entrepreneurship Fund (seed capital) to begin their own business or enterprise venture. In Phase II, after proper utilisation of seed capital, members can obtain a loan of at least Rs 25,000 from banks, with the government providing 50 per cent of the amount or Rs 12,500 (whichever is less) as capital subsidy on loan repayment, the Assam Chief Minister explained.
Additionally, Phase III involves helping eligible recipients return loans obtained under Phase II, enabling them to obtain larger individual bank credits, and the government will subsidise interest at the rate of three percent for timely loan repayment, the Assam Chief Minister added.
The state cabinet also approved Rs 274 crore in infrastructure projects under the Assam Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) from the total budget allocated for FY 2023-24. The state cabinet also decided to include the Ahom, Koch, Rajbongshi, and Gorkha communities in the list of protected classes of people in the Balipara Tribal Belt who had been occupying the land before 2011.
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