In a bid to boost education accessibility, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced on Monday that over 71% of the 1.66 lakh students enrolling in colleges across the state have taken advantage of the fee waiver scheme for economically disadvantaged families.
This translates to nearly 1.2 lakh students benefiting from the scheme.
Previously, the scheme was available to students whose parental annual income did not exceed Rs 2 lakh. However, this year, the eligibility threshold has been increased to Rs 4 lakh, Pegu stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In addition to raising the income limit, the state has made the process more accessible by allowing ration cards to serve as proof of family earnings, replacing the previously required income certificates.
"This year, 1,18,199 (71 per cent) students out of 1,66,123 students have availed free admission till yesterday evening," Pegu noted.
While colleges and universities set their own admission fees, the State Fee Regulation Committee determines the upper limit.
Addressing concerns about rising admission fees, Minister Pegu clarified that the state government does not charge any fees to college students.
Instead, it supports students from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families through the fee waiver scheme.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, sharing Pegu's post, highlighted that the state government disbursed ₹103 crore to various colleges last year to cover student enrollment costs under this initiative.
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