All Assam colleges to teach Science, 100 colleges to open PG classes

Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (Express Photo by DASARATH DEKA/File)

The BJP-led government in Assam would soon make it mandatory for all colleges in the state to start the Science stream so that no student willing to pursue a career in Science was deprived of an opportunity. Likewise, 100 colleges of the state would also open post-graduate classes in a phased manner from the next academic session.

Announcing this, state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that while over 15,800 candidates had secured Star marks in the 2017 Class X Assam Board examinations, not all were able to pursue Science because of lack of colleges having the Science stream. He was speaking at a function in Nagaon, about 120 km from Guwahati, where he gave away laptops to over 1,200 students of that district who had obtained Star marks in the Class X Board examination this year.

“While it is encouraging to note that over 15,800 students had secured Star marks, the scope for studying Science is limited. That is why the government has decided to let all colleges in the state start the Science stream from the next academic session,” Sarma said.

He also said that the Assam government had cleared a proposal for starting Post-Graduate classes in various subjects of Science, Humanities and Commerce streams in 100 colleges from next year. “With PG seats limited in the university campuses, a large number of students are deprived of pursing higher studies. We are starting Post-Graduate classes in 100 colleges across the state in a phased manner from this year,” minister Sarma said. Majuli College will be the first college to start PG classes this year itself, he added.

Giving a break-up of the 15,800 students who had secured Star marks in the Class X Board examination this year, Sarma said that while about 11,000 of them had joined the Science stream, about 3,000 joined Arts and about 1,200 Commerce. There are a little over 300 degree colleges in Assam.

“Keeping this in mind, the government is also gradually increasing seats for the MBBS and Engineering courses. Right now we have only about 700 MBBS seats in the existing five medical colleges. In another three or four years we will have 12 medical colleges in Assam with an in-take capacity of 1,200 students in the first year MBBS class,” Sarma said. Likewise, three new engineering colleges are also going to function from next academic year, he said.