Guwahati, Oct 15: In a significant push to support higher education across Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday signed off on the disbursal of financial assistance under the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Aasoni and Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Aasoni schemes, covering 5.42 lakh students statewide.
The Chief Minister announced the clearance through a post on X, stating that he had “just signed off on disbursal of #NijutBabuMoina benefits to 5.42 lakh boys and girls across Assam’s colleges.” The combined outlay for the current cycle stands at ₹58.59 crore.
Of the total beneficiaries, 4,39,598 girl students will receive ₹48.22 crore under the Nijut Moina scheme, while 1,02,501 boy students will get ₹10.37 crore under the Nijut Babu scheme. The assistance is being transferred directly to students’ accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
Under Nijut Moina, monthly support is structured according to the level of study: ₹800 for students in Classes XI and XII, ₹1,250 for undergraduates, and ₹2,500 for those pursuing postgraduate and B.Ed courses. Polytechnic students receive ₹800 per month in the first two years and ₹1,250 in the third year. The Nijut Babu scheme provides ₹1,000 per month to eligible undergraduate male students and ₹2,000 per month to postgraduate students from economically weaker families (annual income below ₹4 lakh).
The ceremonial distribution of the first instalment for October 2026 took place at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Khanapara, Guwahati, where the Chief Minister handed over symbolic cheques in the presence of a large gathering of students. Officials said the September instalment would be released after the Durga Puja festival.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma described the rising enrolment under both schemes as a matter of celebration rather than concern. He noted that the number of Nijut Babu beneficiaries had more than doubled from around 49,000 last year to over one lakh this year, reflecting greater awareness and demand for educational support.
Looking ahead, the government has indicated plans to further expand the Nijut Moina scheme from the next academic year. Coverage is proposed to be extended to students of four additional universities — Srimanta Sankaradeva University, Auniati University, Krishnaguru Adhyatmik University and Pragjyotishpur University — as well as those pursuing ANM, GNM and BSc Nursing courses.
Both schemes form a core part of the Assam government’s efforts to reduce dropout rates, ease the financial burden on families, and encourage students — particularly girls — to continue their education beyond the secondary level. The Nijut Moina scheme is universal for eligible girl students domiciled in Assam (with certain exclusions for daughters of ministers, MPs and MLAs), while Nijut Babu is targeted at male students from lower-income households who have secured admission under the state’s fee-waiver scheme.
Education department officials confirmed that beneficiaries must maintain at least 70 per cent attendance and adhere to institutional rules to continue receiving the monthly support, which is provided for up to ten months in an academic year.
The large-scale disbursement comes at a time when the state is intensifying focus on human capital development, with successive expansions of student welfare programmes aimed at keeping young people in classrooms rather than the workforce.