The Higher Education Department, Government of Assam, has issued an executive order detailing the guidelines for providing financial assistance to male students from economically weaker families under the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Aasoni scheme for the academic year 2025–26.
The scheme will benefit eligible male students enrolled in UG 1st Year and PG 1st Year in government and provincialised educational institutions across Assam. The initiative aims to improve higher education enrolment, reduce dropout rates, and ensure gender parity in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Objectives of the Babu Scheme
- Increase enrolment of male students from economically weaker sections in higher education
- Improve Assam’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)
- Reduce dropout rates at undergraduate and postgraduate entry levels
- Promote social equity and gender balance in education
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be a male student domiciled in Assam
- Family annual income must be below ₹4 lakh
- Must be a regular student enrolled in UG 1st Year or PG 1st Year in a government or provincialised institution
- Married UG students, recipients of Banikantha Kakati Merit Award (Scooter), and PG students availing the CM’s Jibon Prerana Scheme are not eligible
Benefits
- UG 1st Year students: ₹1,000 per month for up to 10 months (₹10,000 per academic year)
- PG 1st Year students: ₹2,000 per month for up to 10 months (₹20,000 per academic year)
- No incentive will be paid during summer or long vacations exceeding one month
Babu Scheme Mode of Application
Students applying under the scheme must ensure that all information submitted by them is accurate and complete. The Heads of Institutions will be responsible for overseeing the correctness of the data.
- Registrars and Principals will collect, verify, and upload student data for auto-verification through the SAMARTH Portal.
- Applicants must upload a valid income certificate issued by a competent authority or a ration card of the parents/guardians for verification.
- Each institution will appoint one or two Nodal Teachers to implement the scheme at the institutional level.
- Guardians will have the option to decide whether their sons wish to avail the benefits under the scheme.
- Heads of Institutions must inform authorities if any student opts out, is found ineligible, or drops out. Students failing to attend classes regularly will not be allowed to receive benefits.