Assam: Education Minister Ranoj Pegu holds Crucial Talks with HS Teachers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A crucial meeting between the Assam Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu and a delegation from the All Assam Higher Secondary Teachers and Employees Association was held on Wednesday at Janata Bhawan. The discussion focused on several pressing issues related to higher secondary education, including teachers’ service conditions, administrative reforms, and student welfare.

During the meeting, the Education Minister patiently heard the delegation’s demands and provided several significant assurances, paving the way for the resolution of long-pending concerns. Among the key points discussed, the minister agreed to ensure transparency and fairness in the appointment of principals and vice-principals. He also announced that the proposal to allow postgraduate teachers (PGTs) to teach from Class 9 instead of Class 6 would be incorporated into service rules.

The minister further said that the issue of teachers’ pay band adjustments would be considered under the upcoming 8th Pay Commission and that amendments to service rules for the promotion of PGTs to Grade I would be prioritized. Discussions were also held on replacing the Lead College System with a Lead School System to strengthen school-level administration. The Education Minister noted the possibility of extending the service tenure of PGTs to 62 years and recorded the issue for further consideration.

Other assurances included the filling of long-vacant posts in provincialized schools from 2013 and relaxation of the upper age limit for in-service teachers appearing in the Assam Education Service (AES) eligibility test. The minister also promised to simplify the process for granting permission to pursue PhD studies.

The delegation expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning of the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB), citing lack of transparency, poor coordination with District Level Committees (DLCs), and excessive reduction of examination centers. The association opposed ASSEB’s directive to cut down exam centers and criticized irrational tagging arrangements that force students—especially from rural areas—to travel long distances.

The Education Minister acknowledged the concerns and assured that no reduction of examination centers would take place for the 2026 examinations, adding that a review meeting involving ASSEB and department officials would be held in November.

In line with the state’s broader education reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the minister highlighted initiatives such as introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) education, implementing AI-enabled features for visually impaired learners on the DIKSHA platform, operationalizing 10 new Government Model Colleges, and constructing 200 new schools annually with a goal to develop 4,000 “Dream Hubs” by 2035. He also announced the introduction of Indian Sign Language (ISL) as an elective subject from the 2025–26 session and a collaboration with Tata-Nelco to establish 50 hubs and 500 spokes for AI, robotics, and green technology training.

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