The Assam Cabinet approved new education measures on Sunday, making state history and geography compulsory subjects for students in Classes 6 to 8. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced these decisions, which also include establishing a new Sainik School and a specialized Centre of Excellence for engineering students.
Compulsory Subjects Initiative
Starting soon, all elementary and upper primary schools across Assam will introduce mandatory state history and geography subjects. This initiative aims to shape young minds by grounding them in local knowledge and cultural understanding, fostering a deeper connection with Assam’s heritage and environment.
New Educational Institutions
The Cabinet authorized the construction of a new Sainik School in Karbi Anglong. This project is budgeted at an estimated Rs 335 crore . The school will offer quality education with a military-oriented curriculum, aiming to prepare students for national service. Additionally, a Rs 243.66 crore Centre of Excellence (CoE) received approval for Assam Engineering College in Guwahati.
Centre of Excellence Focus
The CoE will specialize in advanced training across Aerospace and Defence, Automotive, and Electrical Vehicle technologies. Its core mission is to equip students with industry-relevant skills, support continuous upskilling initiatives, and strengthen the local startup and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem, fostering innovation and economic growth.
Addressing School Infrastructure Gaps
These new initiatives surface as Assam’s education sector grapples with existing infrastructure and staffing challenges. Last week, the education department reported to the Assembly that over 1,400 interior schools continue to lack basic drinking water and toilet facilities, directly impacting student well-being and attendance.
Teacher Vacancy Crisis
In parallel, a significant number of teaching positions remain unfilled. Nearly 28,000 teaching posts are vacant across all state-run schools. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu specifically noted 12,382 teaching posts are vacant in Middle English (ME) schools. Another 8,251 regular teacher positions are vacant in lower primary (LP) schools, affecting student-teacher ratios and classroom quality.
Economic Development Policies
In a separate but related move, the Cabinet also approved the Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025. This policy aims to significantly reduce overall logistics costs, improve multimodal transportation connectivity across the state, and attract new investments into Assam’s burgeoning warehousing sector.
Recent Legislative Actions
Earlier, on November 29 , the Assam Assembly passed six education-related amendment bills. These legislative measures included new frameworks for fee regulation, the provincialisation of teachers (bringing contract teachers into regular government service), re-organisation of education institutions, and revised teacher recruitment and transfer policies. Furthermore, the Azim Premji University Bill, 2025, and the North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM) University Bill, 2025, also gained legislative approval, paving the way for new educational institutions.