Woman students protest in Sivasagar, urge govt to restore 60% cutoff for free scooters
Dibrugarh: Hundreds of woman students in Sivasagar town staged a protest on Monday against the Assam govt's decision to raise the eligibility criteria for free scooters under the state's educational incentive programme.
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Until 2024, woman students scoring a minimum of 60% in the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) exam conducted by the Assam state board qualified for free scooters under the Dr Banikanta Kakati Merit Award, part of the Pragyan Bharati Scheme. Male students required at least 75% to be eligible.
However, starting in 2025, the state govt has standardised the eligibility threshold to 80% for all students, irrespective of gender.
Holding placards that read "Restore 60% criteria for girls", the protesting students urged chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to reconsider the policy change, arguing that the previous cutoff had been instrumental in motivating woman students across Assam.
"We understand the govt's push for academic excellence, but raising the cutoff from 60% to 80% has demoralised many students who worked hard with this scheme in mind.
For many girls, especially from rural areas, these scooters were a crucial support system for higher education. Now, only a small fraction will qualify," said a protesting student who scored 74% in this year's HSSLC examination.
Launched in 2020, the scheme has been popular in rural and semi-urban areas of the state, where public transport options are limited. For many woman students, the free scooters were not just an academic reward but also a practical commuting solution.
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"This decision contradicts the scheme's very purpose — encouraging girls' education and mobility. Increasing the cutoff so drastically excludes many deserving students, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds," said a guardian.
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