AASU and Teachers Demand Revival of Scholarship Exams in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association (ASPTA) have jointly urged the Assam government to resume scholarship examinations for Classes V and VIII from the current academic year.

At a press conference at Swahid Nyas Bhawan in Uzan Bazar on Thursday, the two organisations said they had submitted a joint memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Education Minister, expressing dissatisfaction with the discontinuation of the examinations by the state's Elementary Education Department.

The memorandum, signed by AASU president Utpal Sarma and general secretary Samiran Phukon, along with ASPTA president Ratul Chandra Goswami and general secretary Shailendra Kalita, traced the history of scholarship examinations in Assam to the late 19th century, between 1880 and 1900. The examinations followed the recommendations of Wood's Despatch of 1854, which advocated scholarships for meritorious students to connect lower schools with higher institutions.

The examinations were conducted for students of Classes III and VI until 1975. Following changes in the state's school structure in 1976, they were held for Classes IV and VII. The scholarship amount, initially Rs 3, was gradually increased to Rs 5, Rs 10 and eventually Rs 50, which was provided for 18 months until 2011.

In 2012, changes in the structure of primary and upper primary education led to the introduction of scholarship examinations for Classes V and VIII. Under the revised policy, 50,000 students at each level were eligible for scholarships of Rs 5,000 each. The examinations continued under this system until 2020.

However, the Elementary Education Department has not conducted the examinations since 2021. AASU and ASPTA said they had repeatedly demanded their regular continuation, but the government had cited difficulties in administering the scholarship distribution process and said it was exploring a new plan.

The organisations rejected the government's explanation, stating that the examinations not only recognised students' academic merit and provided financial assistance but also helped increase interest in government schools.

They further argued that the examinations encouraged academic competition at a time when the conventional pass-fail system had been discontinued, leaving fewer ways to assess students' academic abilities.

Describing the six-year suspension of the examinations as an injustice to students in government schools, the two organisations urged the government to resume the Class V and Class VIII scholarship examinations from the current academic year.

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