Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam's Education Department is clamping down on campus access and privacy. Starting October 1, schools statewide must follow five new directives. These rules address school security, sanitation, academic discipline, and student safety.
The crackdown follows the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) School Thik Karo campaign. CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka recently led teams into government schools in the Palashbari and Dispur areas. They inspected infrastructure and flagged missing facilities. The party stated the initiative is meant to "highlight gaps in government school infrastructure and push for improvements in basic facilities."
Security measures are now strict. Staff must keep main gates locked before morning prayers. Outsiders are barred unless they secure prior permission. However, the order exempts parents, School Management Committee members, and authorized Education Department staff.
Privacy is also a priority. Schools must stop the unauthorized filming or photography of children. The department also ordered a major cleanup. Administrators must keep toilets and urinals hygienic and maintain overall campus cleanliness. Leaders hope these changes stop untoward incidents and stabilize the academic environment.
These orders hit schools shortly after police drama. Assam Police detained Ranka and several volunteers in Guwahati before a planned meeting. Authorities later released the group. Now, schools face the fallout as these new regulations take hold across the region.
Updated at 30th September 2026 at 5:51pm
State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu contradicted the claims of a blanket ban on school visitors on September 30. He publicly stated that the Education Department issued no notice or circular to block citizens or civil society members from entering government campuses. Pegu confirmed that guardians and locals remain welcome to offer input, provided they do not disrupt the school day or ruin the academic atmosphere.
The department is now targeting the source of the confusion. Officials issued a show cause notice to a Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator, Nurul Hussain, for allegedly blasting a false message about access restrictions across WhatsApp. Pegu says reports suggesting otherwise are simply untrue.
Comments