Assam government simplifies college admission process by accepting ration cards for Fee Waiver Scheme

Assam government, on June 24, announced a significant change in the admission process for higher education institutions across the state. Students eligible for the Fee Waiver Scheme can now submit their family ration card instead of an income certificate when applying to government and provincialised colleges, as well as state universities.

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu confirmed this policy shift, which aims to streamline the admission process for the First Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP). The decision comes as a relief to many students who have faced difficulties in obtaining income certificates, often a time-consuming and complex process.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Pegu wrote, "A review meeting was held with senior officials of the education department on rationalization and transfer of teachers at the Samgra Shiksha Abhiyan office meeting room today. The school education department was directed to rationalize and transfer teachers with priority to control the ratio of students and teachers according to schools and subjects (s.i.c)."

Pegu further stated that 57,469 students have been admitted to the FYUGP in government and provincialised colleges, as well as state universities under the fee waiver scheme. He noted that an additional 50,000 students are expected to benefit from the scheme.

HCM @himantabiswa has reviewed the 𝐅𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐭 today. 57469 students have been admitted to FYUGP in Govt/provincialised Colleges and State Universities under the Scheme. Another 50000 students are expected to avail the scheme.

The… pic.twitter.com/vNktYwfp5I

— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) June 24, 2024

Pegu explained that institutes are typically reimbursed towards the end of each financial year after data compilation, which can be a lengthy process. However, this year, with the data readily available through the Samarth portal, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered that institutions be reimbursed on July 10 for all non-CUET admissions. He added that after the completion of CUET-based admissions, the government would provide reimbursements in August.

"In last 3 years, a total of ₹427.51 crores have been released to Colleges and Universities as Fee Waiver reimbursement, and 10 lakh 95 thousand students have benefited from the scheme," the minister added.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasised the importance of this change, particularly for those applying under the state's Pragnan Bharati scheme. He directed college authorities to accept family ration cards from students who have been unable to secure parental income certificates.

অসম চৰকাৰৰ প্রজ্ঞান ভাৰতী আঁচনিৰ অধীনত মহাবিদ্যালয় পর্যায়ত বিনামূলীয়া নামভর্তিৰ সুবিধা লাভ কৰিবৰ বাবে যিসকল ছাত্র-ছাত্রীয়ে তেওঁলোকৰ পিতৃ-মাতৃৰ আয়ৰ প্ৰমাণ-পত্ৰ দাখিল কৰিব পৰা নাই, তেওঁলোকৰ ক্ষেত্রত আয়ৰ প্ৰমাণ-পত্ৰৰ পৰিৱর্তে পৰিয়ালৰ ৰেচন কার্ডখন গ্রহণ কৰিবৰ বাবে মহাবিদ্যালয়…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 24, 2024

The move is expected to benefit thousands of students across Assam, making higher education more accessible. It also aligns with the government's efforts to rationalise educational policies and improve access to quality education.