Nijut Moina now covers 3.5 L girls in Assam; CM claims zero dropouts in past year

Guwahati, Oct 27: The number of beneficiaries under the Assam government’s Nijut Moina scheme has risen to 3,50,256 girl students within a year, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday, asserting that the initiative has significantly contributed to curb child marriage and improve girls’ education in the state.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Bhogeshwar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai, Sarma said last year the scheme covered 1,61,302 students, and the sharp increase in beneficiaries reflects a surge in enrolment among girls.

“This number says a lot about the state’s education sector as 30,000 more girl students have enrolled in educational institutions. It is a matter of great pride for Assam,” he said.

The Chief Minister further claimed that the state has recorded no dropout among girl students in higher secondary, undergraduate or postgraduate courses over the past year.

“This was our goal behind launching the Nijut Moina scheme, and we have achieved it,” he added.

Terming the development a major milestone in curbing child marriage, Sarma recalled reports from 2021 that indicated girls as young as 12 were being married off in districts such as Dhubri, Mankachar, Nagaon, Morigaon, Darrang and Barpeta, with many becoming mothers between the ages of 14 and 18.

“Child marriage had destroyed Assam. In 2023, we took a strong stand and arrested nearly 7,000 people involved in such practices,” he said, adding that child marriage rates had reached 60% to 75% in some areas.

Sarma reiterated that the government would take a two-pronged approach — strict enforcement of law against child marriage and empowerment of girls through education.

“With the Nijut Moina scheme, our girls will gain courage and use it to fulfil their dreams,” he said, announcing that the state government would create 1 lakh jobs, with special emphasis on opportunities for women.

The Chief Minister also said the government has decided to provide Rs 300 per month to students appearing for matriculation exam from November 15 to help them purchase books and educational materials.

He announced that the Nijut Moina scheme will now cover girls in Degree 3rd Year and 5th Semester, as well as students in polytechnic and ITI institutes across Assam.

Reaffirming his vision of a “new Assam”, Sarma said it would be a state where women are “respected, cherished and empowered”, and warned of stringent action against crimes targeting women.

“No matter which religion a person belongs to, if they commit crimes against women or marry more than one wife, they will be jailed for seven years or more,” he said.

“This is the new Assam we are building — one where our daughters can dream without fear and succeed with dignity,” he concluded.