Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Education Minister Ranoj Pegu handed out Rs 194.55 crore in post-matric scholarships on September 16. The event took place at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital auditorium. Organized by the Department of Tribal Affairs (Plain), the initiative reached 1,66,124 Scheduled Tribe students throughout Assam.
These funds help students pay for higher education. Pegu believes the cash gives pupils the confidence to keep learning. He said the scholarship support is "aimed at helping ST students pursue higher education and providing them with greater confidence and encouragement to continue their academic journey."
Officials hope the money removes financial hurdles. This payout occurred under the state Seva Sankalp Abhiyan program.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 1:49pm
Beyond the classroom, the administration is pushing into career development. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently backed a free, six-month mentorship scheme in Kokrajhar. Led by working government officers, the program helps civil service aspirants cut through the fluff of rote learning to grasp the actual mechanics of competitive exams.
On September 17, the Chief Minister shifted gears to economic development, handing out over Rs 278 crore to 82,219 budding entrepreneurs. The funding, part of the Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan, doles out Rs 2 lakh to general-category hopefuls and Rs 5 lakh to professionals, split evenly between grants and interest-free loans. While most beneficiaries are moving forward, the government noted that roughly 20 percent of earlier participants failed to meet eligibility benchmarks or dropped out to take full-time jobs. The current phase adds skill training and marketing support to the cash infusion.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 2:04am
The latest funding breakdown shows the CMAAA 1.0 program moved over Rs 196 million to 9,552 general category and 26 professional entrepreneurs. Another Rs 182 million under CMAAA 2.0 reached 72,447 general category and 194 professional participants. To keep the momentum, the state plans to push beneficiaries who received smaller initial payments toward the higher tier in the next nine to 10 months.
Sarma also launched a drive to spark a dairy revolution. The state will organize Dairy Milk Societies to better structure the industry. Farmers will get an extra Rs 5 for every litre of milk produced, a move meant to pad their pockets and drive up total output across the state.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 1:49pm
Beyond milk production, the state is looking at faster transit to link its economic hubs. Sarma signaled early talks with the Asian Development Bank to plot out a high-speed regional rail network modeled after the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Transit System. The Chief Minister confirmed the move on September 18, noting that planners are currently sketching a blueprint for connectivity across the state.
Sarma also used World Bamboo Day on September 18 to bet big on the state's bamboo sector. He claims the plant is doing heavy lifting in the job market, moving past traditional crafts into construction, furniture, and food processing. The administration sees the sector as a prime mover for sustainable industry and local entrepreneurship.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:48am
Sarma took the state pitch to New Delhi at the ICC Global Business Summit, framing Assam as the engine for the next phase of Indian economic growth. He pegged the state nominal GSDP at Rs 7.45 lakh crore for 2025-26, with real growth cracking 10 percent and projections hitting Rs 8.71 lakh crore by next year. The Chief Minister credited industrial activity for 35.64 percent of that output, noting that over 3,700 new factories have cropped up since May 2021.
The state is betting big on high-tech manufacturing to keep the momentum. Beyond the Tata semiconductor plant, Sarma is chasing a full industrial ecosystem, pushing for local firms to handle everything from clean room services to precision components. He also highlighted a shift in the energy sector, aiming for 6,000 MW of renewable capacity by 2030. To sweeten the deal for outsiders, the government claims its single window clearance system has already pushed through 2.5 million approvals.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 9:47am
Sarma reported that Assam Police intercepted 10 individuals attempting to cross the border on September 18. The Chief Minister claimed these people carried ulterior motives meant to damage social harmony, though he stopped short of identifying the group beyond a vague film reference. He praised police for halting the unauthorized entry and insisted state forces remain on high alert.
Regarding the bamboo sector, the Chief Minister doubled down on his growth pitch during World Bamboo Day. He framed the plant as a engine for both industrial-scale applications and local livelihoods, moving the narrative beyond simple craftwork into a broader strategy for long-term sustainable development.
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