Assam: Teachers’ Body Demands Revival of Primary Scholarship Examination

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam State Primary Teachers' Association (ASPTA) has strongly opposed the reported decision not to conduct the Primary Scholarship Examination, describing it as an important form of recognition for students at the beginning of their educational journey.

The teachers' body said that citing "irregularities in its conduct" as a reason for not holding the examination was unacceptable and deserved condemnation. It also objected to comparing the scholarship examination with Gunotsav, arguing that the latter is an educational assessment programme and not a mandatory examination.

According to ASPTA, the Education Department has traditionally conducted the scholarship examination among students in the final year of primary education. Earlier, students were provided a scholarship of Rs 50 per month for 18 months. The association said that following its demand for an increase in the scholarship amount, the then Tarun Gogoi-led state government enhanced the scholarship to Rs 5,000 and decided to provide the benefit to 50,000 students. The scholarship examination continued under this policy from 2012 to 2020.

However, the examination was not held in 2021. The teachers' association subsequently urged the state government to maintain continuity of the scholarship scheme. The then Elementary Education Department reportedly informed the association that the delay was due to plans to revise the existing scholarship examination policy.

"Even after five years, the department has failed to announce a new plan," the association said.

In 2024, when the association again demanded that the examination be conducted, the department had also announced plans to link the scholarship examination with the Anundoram Borooah Award, it said.

The association expressed disappointment over the Education Minister's reported announcement that the scholarship examination would not be conducted, terming the move a serious setback to public education.

ASPTA president Ratul Chandra Goswami and general secretary Shailendra Kalita have demanded that the decision be withdrawn and the scholarship examination reinstated.

The association warned that if the government does not announce by October 15 that the examination will be conducted, it may launch democratic protests in coordination with parents of primary school students, student and youth organisations, and parents' associations across the state, seeking restoration of the examination.

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