Assam to award over 35,000 scooters to meritorious students

The Assam cabinet decided to award 35,800 scooters to deserving male and female students who passed the state’s higher secondary education council’s 10+2 board exams on Wednesday.

The move, which is a continuation of similar initiatives done by the state administration in previous years, was told by the state’s minister of education, Ronoj Pegu.

Scooters will be given to 29,748 girls who received 60% or higher on the overall scale and 6,052 guys who achieved over 75%.

“The state government has been giving scooters, especially to encourage girls. This year, boys will also get scooters but the marks secured by them will have to be 75% or above,” Pegu said.

The action will cost the state budget over  Rs 259 crore.

The education minister announced that the scooters procurement procedure has already begun and that students would start receiving them on November 30.

The state government will also provide the financial aid to students for the scooters’ registration and insurance.

In addition, the state cabinet decided to increase the pay of 135 assistant professors at provincialized colleges (academies where the state government pays professors’ and staff’s salaries) in the state from their current salaries of 8,000 and 21,600 rupees per month to a fixed wage of 55,000 rupees per month.

The cabinet also approved the establishment of a five-star hotel by the Hyatt Group close to Kaziranga National Park as part of the state government’s initiative to establish high-end hotels. State government land will be made available for the hotel.