Zero fee admission for 1.85 lakh college students in Assam: CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. | Photo credit: PTI

GUWAHATI

Over 1.85 lakh students in Assam have secured admission in college courses without paying any fee, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday (June 19, 2026).

He said the fee waiver scheme was more than just a statistic, terming it a reflection of the vast reach of Assam government’s social programs and their role in strengthening the foundations of society through education.

“Zero admission fees paid by more than 1.95 lakh college students in Assam so far this year,” said the Chief Minister.

Officials said the fee waiver initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on students and their families while boosting enrollment in higher education in Assam. The program is part of the state government’s efforts to improve access to quality and affordable education.

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said a total of 2,28,943 students have secured admission to the first semester of four-year undergraduate programs across colleges and universities through a dedicated government portal. Out of these students, 1,85,796 students availed the fee waiver scheme.

“Notably, 55.65% of the admitted students are female, reflecting the increasing participation of girls in higher education across the state,” he said, adding that the final selection round of the admission process will be held from July 29 to 31 after the declaration of the Common University Entrance Test results and the completion of the admission process.

Earlier, referring to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education, Mr. Pegu said the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in Assam was 16.9%, which was below the national average of 28.4%.

The GER in higher education is calculated by dividing the number of enrolled students by the population aged 18-23 and then multiplying by 100. The new education policy aims to achieve a 50% GER by 2030.

Assam has more than 800 government and private colleges.

As per the Unified District Education Information System Plus data for 2024-25, the dropout rate at primary and secondary levels in Assam has improved over the previous fiscal. However, transition from the school system remains a major problem before and after 12th grade.

The data showed that 71.9% of students dropped out of class 11 and 12.

Published – 20 Jun 2026 0:36 IST