The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association (ASPTA) have jointly mounted pressure on the Assam government to immediately resume the baseline scholarship examinations for Class 5 and Class 8 students. The crucial state-level academic assessments have remained entirely shelved since 2021.
During a joint press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, top student leaders and educators criticized the state's educational priorities. They questioned why elementary-level merit rewards remain frozen even as the state continues expanding other commercial welfare policies.
ASPTA officials firmly rejected the state Education Department's justification that operational "irregularities" caused the suspension, asserting that administrative flaws require corrective oversight rather than abolishing the historic exams.
"The scholarship examination has traditionally been the first major academic recognition for students at the primary level," stated ASPTA President Ratul Chandra Goswami. "Its extended discontinuation will severely and adversely affect public education across Assam."
The alliance also strongly opposed using "Gunotsav"—a general school evaluation framework—as a tool to determine student scholarships.
Demanding a swift official announcement, the organizations warned of escalating democratic agitations involving youth bodies and parents if state authorities refuse to restore the competitive merit tests.