The Assam government on Thursday announced a ₹1,750-crore higher education package aimed at strengthening universities, supporting autonomous colleges, expanding teacher welfare initiatives and continuing the provincialisation of eligible venture colleges.
Presenting the 2026-27 State Budget in the Assembly, Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the government is committed to building a stronger, regionally balanced and future-ready higher education ecosystem.
Under the proposal, ₹100 crore each will be provided in phases to Sibsagar University, Jagannath Barooah University, Nagaon University, North Lakhimpur University, Kokrajhar University, Bongaigaon University and Gurucharan University to improve infrastructure.
The government has also proposed ₹50 crore each for Madhabdev University, Bhattadev University, Rabindranath Tagore University, Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya, Assam Women’s University, Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, and Majuli University of Culture.
Baruah announced an allocation of ₹100 crore for Gauhati University during the current financial year, noting that Dibrugarh University has already received a similar grant.
He also said the Majuli University of Culture would broaden its academic scope by introducing Science and Arts programmes alongside its existing cultural studies.
The Finance Minister informed the House that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted autonomous status to 27 colleges in Assam. To strengthen their academic and institutional capacity, the government will provide ₹2 crore to each autonomous college in two equal instalments.
On teacher welfare, Baruah said more than 15,000 teachers from Lower Primary, Upper Primary, High Schools, Higher Secondary Schools and Degree Colleges have applied under the Guru Dakshina scheme. The Education Department will scrutinise the applications before determining the financial assistance to be provided.
He further stated that around 8,000 applications have been received for the provincialisation of venture educational institutions, and the government will continue the process of provincialising eligible venture colleges.
The minister also announced that the government would amend the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-organisation of Educational Institutions) Act to revise the cut-off date for provincialisation, thereby expanding eligibility for teachers and tutors.
