Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Reviews Pragyan Bharti Fee-Waiver Scheme
On Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Office in Dispur to discuss the Pragyan Bharti fee-waiver scheme. This scheme allows students with parental incomes less than Rs 2 lakh per year to receive free admission to higher education courses in Assam.
Students can apply for the fee waiver through the “Assam Samarth” portal. During the meeting, it was revealed that 57,469 students have been found eligible for the 2024-25 academic session, with more expected as the second merit list is published soon.
Chief Minister Sarma instructed officials to launch an awareness campaign to ensure more students apply for the scheme. He also directed that educational institutions be reimbursed for the fees they waive by July 10, 2024, and by August for those admitting students through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET).
To address issues with obtaining Income Certificates, the Chief Minister decided that ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) can be used as supporting documents.
The Assam Samarth portal has improved transparency in admissions and enabled real-time tracking of beneficiaries, facilitating swift fee reimbursements to educational institutions.
Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister KK Dwivedi, and Director of Higher Education Pomi Baruah were among the senior officials present at the meeting.
