Bikash Kumar Das
Madhurjya Saikia
(madhurjyatu15@gmail.com)
Assam's higher education system is steadily progressing while working to overcome remaining challenges. Presently, Assam houses about 2.6% of India's higher education institutions (HEIs), comprising 30 universities of various categories-central, state, private, open, and institutions of national importance such as IIT Guwahati, AIIMS Guwahati, and NIT Silchar, along with one deemed university. The national average university density (number of universities per million population) is 0.8, while Assam's university density stands at 0.7, slightly below the national average. This highlights the need for continued efforts to ensure equitable access to higher education by improving institutional density across the state.
According to the NITI Aayog Policy Report 2025, Assam's college density (number of colleges per lakh eligible population aged 18-23 years) is 15, compared to the national average of 30. Nevertheless, the government has undertaken consistent measures to make higher education more accessible. As per recent data, access to higher education is evaluated primarily through the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and the Gender Parity Index (GPI). Assam has improved its GER from 14.7 to 16.9 over the past decade, although it still trails behind the national average and some other northeastern states. Conversely, Assam shows a more gender-balanced education scenario, with a GPI of 1.09, surpassing the national average of 1.01. This indicates better parity in male-female enrolment across higher education institutions. Overall, Assam's higher education system shows steady progress in balancing with the national patterns.
Higher education through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) focuses on interdisciplinary, hands-on learning to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills for today's tech-driven world, preparing students for high-demand careers in fields like AI, Data Science, and Biotech, while fostering innovation and adaptability for future challenges. As a growing state, Assam must adopt broader strategies to promote inclusive STEM education, ensuring equal participation across genders. Building a skilled workforce is vital for both the state economy and India's global knowledge competitiveness. The state government has launched several initiatives to strengthen STEM learning from the school level to higher education, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Institutions such as IIT Guwahati, NIT Silchar, central universities, and state universities act as guiding hubs for nurturing the research ecosystem and transferring knowledge to affiliated colleges. However, these premier institutes should also focus on motivating local students to pursue regionally relevant, problem oriented research, ensuring innovation that addresses the state's geographical and socio economic priorities. While seminars, workshops, and conferences are regularly organized for academic purposes, more outreach-orientated science popularisation efforts are needed to inspire the younger generation. Recent initiatives, such as STEM incubator centers, innovation hubs in select science colleges, and programs like Startup Assam, have already helped enhance student participation in research and entrepreneurship.
Despite India being the second-largest producer of STEM graduates after China, the country ranks 39th in the Global Innovation Index 2024, far behind China (11th). This indicates weak investment in Research and Development (R&D). India spends only 0.65% of its GDP on R&D (as of 2022), with the private sector contributing just 36.4% to total R&D funding. To address this gap, governments - both central and state - must recognize STEM as the foundation for innovation-driven growth. Assam should focus on producing skilled professionals to serve scientific and technological projects beyond academia. Strategies should align with NEP 2020, emphasising experiential learning, digital skills, and a problem-solving orientation. Curricula may also be adapted to regional languages and technological contexts to bridge the gap between academic training and industrial needs. Special attention is required in rural and underserved areas to ensure access to quality STEM education. At the school level, the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs has been a commendable step toward hands-on STEM learning. At the higher education level, however, modernisation of laboratories and research facilities is urgently needed to align with global trends in robotics, coding, computational sciences, and engineering software applications. Collaboration between local colleges and leading research institutes such as IIT Guwahati, NIT Silchar, IIAST Guwahati, and nearby universities can create stronger outreach and mentorship networks. Such partnerships, supported by programs like the Assam Science and Technology Plan and the State Innovation Missions, can nurture regional talent and promote applied research. Additionally, digital learning platforms such as NPTEL can be adopted to provide global-level educational exposure within Assam's HEIs. Teachers and educators are pivotal in strengthening STEM education. Providing them with adequate, practical, and locally relevant training is essential. Regular workshops, refresher courses, and laboratory training programmes conducted by universities and research institutes can enhance their pedagogical and technical competency. Faculty Development Programs (FDPs), in collaboration with AICTE, IIT Guwahati, NIT Silchar, and other institutions, should introduce modern teaching approaches such as inquiry-based learning and design thinking. Training should integrate ICT tools, simulations, and research exposure to improve instructional quality across colleges. Opportunities for teacher-exchange programmes and online certification courses from reputed global institutes can further enrich their experience. Importantly, STEM educators should not be overburdened with administrative responsibilities that compromise teaching quality.
Yet, higher education in a developing state like Assam continues to face significant funding shortages and infrastructural constraints. Many colleges lack modern laboratories, digital resources, and proper maintenance facilities, which curtail research and innovation. Outdated teaching and research practices also discourage students from pursuing STEM disciplines. Research often remains degree oriented rather than innovation oriented, and limited exposure to interdisciplinary methods further restricts creativity. Excessive workloads on faculty members also reduce the time and energy available for high-quality teaching and mentoring. Gender-related challenges persist as well. Societal expectations, lack of mentorship, and insufficient institutional support continue to discourage women from pursuing long-term STEM academic or research careers. Although the government has launched various schemes to address these issues, targeted programmes promoting gender equity in STEM remain limited and deserve greater policy attention. Another major challenge is the lack of strong academia industry collaboration, which creates a mismatch between student skills and employment needs. Industry-led innovation hubs are still in their infancy across Assam, limiting entrepreneurial and job-readiness opportunities.
Last but not least, the Government of Assam envisions expanding higher education infrastructure with a particular focus on professional, technical, and scientific programmes. Priority should be given to upgrading digital infrastructure and establishing centres of excellence in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, semiconductors, and biotechnology. State initiatives are being increasingly aligned with national missions like PARAMARSH, IMPRINT, and the Atal Innovation Mission to promote impactful research and innovation. Grant schemes for young faculty and research scholars must be strengthened to build a competitive research ecosystem. Collaboration with national and global institutions will be crucial to increasing research output, patents, and technology-driven solutions addressing Assam's regional challenges. The introduction of skill-based courses, short-term certifications, and hands-on workshops should be expanded to complement mainstream STEM curricula. Entrepreneurship cells and innovation clubs across university and college campuses can nurture student startups and build a culture of innovation. Ultimately, the focus must remain on integrating theoretical learning with practical, community-linked applications, supported by strong government-industry-academia partnerships. Collaborations with organizations like Assam Startup, NASSCOM, and MSME bodies are helping build incubation platforms and innovation hubs. Together, these efforts aim to transform Assam into a vibrant knowledge and innovation hub of Northeast India, equipping students for entrepreneurship, employability, and leadership in the STEM-driven future.