Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday unveiled a set of student-centric initiatives, including the Mukhyamantri Jibon Prerana scheme and enhanced research assistance, aimed at strengthening higher education and improving youth employability in the state.
Launching the schemes at an official function, the Chief Minister said the Jibon Prerana programme will provide financial support to fresh graduates of 2025. Eligible graduates will receive a monthly stipend of ₹2,500 for one year to help them prepare for competitive examinations, pursue higher studies, or search for employment.
According to the government, 48,319 graduates from public institutions have been selected in the first phase. The assistance will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
In a parallel move to promote research, the state government announced one-time financial aid for PhD scholars. Eligible research scholars will receive ₹25,000, while specially-abled (Divyang) scholars will be provided ₹40,000. Officials said about 2,112 research scholars, including differently-abled candidates, are expected to benefit.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the government’s push toward advanced technical skills. Under the Industry 4.0 initiative, the state plans to establish 34 new technology centres in ITIs and polytechnics with an investment of around ₹3,000 crore. The centres will focus on training students in areas such as automation, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and data science.
Sarma said the new measures complement the government’s broader education reforms and are designed to make Assam’s youth more skilled, competitive and industry-ready.
Officials in the Higher Education Department noted that the combined push in stipends, research funding and technical training is expected to strengthen the state’s higher education ecosystem and support young job-seekers in the coming years.
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