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NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Assam Students Body Protests Against Government's Directive On Hindu Migrants
The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) staged statewide protests on Friday at district headquarters, strongly opposing the Assam government's reported directive to withdraw all citizenship-related cases against illegal Hindu migrants. The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had denied media reports on Thursday that his government has asked officials of the foreigners tribunals to drop cases against members of six communities—Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi—who entered the state before 2015, citing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). However, the CM's assurances have not cut ice with AASU, which has spearheaded anti-CAA protests in the state. In Guwahati, members of AASU's Kamrup Mahanagar district unit assembled in front of the Swahid Nyas, where they burned copies of the reported directive and shouted anti-government slogans. Addressing the media, AASU President Utpal Sarma said, "The Government of Assam has issued instructions to all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to withdraw citizenship-related cases against illegal Hindu migrants from Bangladesh. These directives are unacceptable." "AASU firmly opposes this move. As a mark of protest, we have burned copies of the directive at all district headquarters today. We reiterate our stand against the CAA and demand that the government withdraw this decision, which effectively protects illegal Hindu Bangladeshis in foreigners' tribunals," he said. Utpal Sarma also reiterated AASU's consistent demand for the full implementation of the Assam Accord. "Only those who entered Assam before March 24, 1971—regardless of religion—are eligible for Indian citizenship. Anyone who came after that, Hindu or Muslim, must be identified and expelled. That has always been our stand," Mr Sarma said. He concluded by announcing that protests would continue across the state until the government revokes the directive and upholds the constitutional and historical sanctity of the Assam Accord.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Protests in Assam on August 8 against state govt's Hindu Bangladeshi decision
ANI Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Guwahati: The All-Assam Students' Union (AASU) has announced a protest on August 8 against the state government's directive to the Foreigners' Tribunal (FT) to withdraw cases pending in Tribunals against illegal Hindu Bangladesh immigrants. The students' union will burn copies of the government's directive across all district headquarters on Friday. AASU President Utpal Sarma said, 'This is a betrayal of the people of Assam. The government cannot selectively protect illegal immigrants based on religion. There must be no religious affiliation in determining illegality.' Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia has asked all political parties and civil society groups to resist what he described as the state government's attempts to 'nullify the Assam Accord'. Referring to government's July-17 directive asking district authorities and Foreigners' Tribunals to drop cases against six religious communities - Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis, Saikia said that it contradicts the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, as stipulated in Assam Accord. The order from the state government stated, 'The DCs and Sr. SPs to take a review of the status of all the Foreigners (Pakistani/ Bangladeshi/ Rohingya). As per the amendments made to the Citizenship Act, the FTs, are, not supposed to pursue cases of foreigners belonging to the six specified communities (Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi and Jain communities) who had entered Assam on or prior to 31.12.2014. It was suggested to stop all such cases., In this regard, the district Commissioner and the Senior SPs should immediately convey a meeting with their respective FT member end also reviews the development periodically and submit the action taken report to this department." It added, 'However, such foreigners should be encouraged and supported for applying for Indian citizenship as per provisions of Citizenship Amendment Act. The Government of Assam had issued clear cut instructions for withdrawal of all cases filed against people belonging to Gorkha and Koch Rajbongshi communities, this should be complied with forthwith. Assam had witnessed violent protests in 2019 and early 2020 after Parliament passed the CAA, which makes minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. Five people were killed in the protests. Assam Accord inked after six yearlong foreigners' movement (1979-1985) provides that foreigners who entered the state after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, irrespective of their religious affiliation must be deported.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Protests in Assam on August 8 against state govt's Hindu Bangladeshi decision
Guwahati: The All-Assam Students' Union ( AASU ) has announced a protest on August 8 against the state government's directive to the Foreigners' Tribunal (FT) to withdraw cases pending in Tribunals against illegal Hindu Bangladesh immigrants. The students' union will burn copies of the government's directive across all district headquarters on Friday. AASU President Utpal Sarma said, 'This is a betrayal of the people of Assam. The government cannot selectively protect illegal immigrants based on religion. There must be no religious affiliation in determining illegality.' Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia has asked all political parties and civil society groups to resist what he described as the state government's attempts to 'nullify the Assam Accord'. Referring to government's July-17 directive asking district authorities and Foreigners' Tribunals to drop cases against six religious communities - Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis, Saikia said that it contradicts the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, as stipulated in Assam Accord . The order from the state government stated, 'The DCs and Sr. SPs to take a review of the status of all the Foreigners (Pakistani/ Bangladeshi/ Rohingya). As per the amendments made to the Citizenship Act, the FTs, are, not supposed to pursue cases of foreigners belonging to the six specified communities (Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi and Jain communities) who had entered Assam on or prior to 31.12.2014. It was suggested to stop all such cases., In this regard, the district Commissioner and the Senior SPs should immediately convey a meeting with their respective FT member end also reviews the development periodically and submit the action taken report to this department." It added, 'However, such foreigners should be encouraged and supported for applying for Indian citizenship as per provisions of Citizenship Amendment Act. The Government of Assam had issued clear cut instructions for withdrawal of all cases filed against people belonging to Gorkha and Koch Rajbongshi communities, this should be complied with forthwith. Assam had witnessed violent protests in 2019 and early 2020 after Parliament passed the CAA, which makes minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. Five people were killed in the protests. Assam Accord inked after six yearlong foreigners' movement (1979-1985) provides that foreigners who entered the state after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, irrespective of their religious affiliation must be deported.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Over 40k applications for 4.5k PG seats in GU & affiliated colleges
Guwahati: A rush for admission to Gauhati University (GU) and its affiliated colleges for postgraduate (PG) courses was witnessed this year, with the number of applications crossing the 40,000 mark. GU authorities on Saturday said this year, 15,000 students submitted 42,000 applications, a significant rise from last year's 28,000 applications, for admission in 50 subjects in PG. The total number of seats in PG courses, distributed in GU and its affiliated colleges, is around 4,500. While this trend is considered an encouraging sign for the premier public university of the state, it also exposes the dearth of an adequate number of seats in PG, with many of the qualified applicants being GU pass outs. Officials said this also highlights the need for students to prioritise other skill-based or professional courses that are available in Assam and under GU. However, the dearth of seats to accommodate the qualified graduates is a phenomenon witnessed across different universities in the country. The PG entrance tests for GU admissions were held from Thursday to Saturday. "We have reserved 50 per cent of the PG seats for GU pass outs, whereas the rest are open. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo A few more supernumerary seats (additional) will be there for other NE states to encourage students from the neighbouring states to pursue higher studies in GU," GU registrar Prof Utpal Sarma told TOI. GU vice-chancellor professor Nani Gopal Mahanta said, "Gauhati University has always positioned itself as a hub of knowledge and innovation. We are committed to realising the dreams of every aspiring student. I believe those who appeared for the entrance examinations will attain the results they strive for and progress through the opportunities this university offers." With an A+ accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Gauhati University continues to uphold its commitment to making higher education accessible to all. To ensure wider participation, the examinations were held across 20 centres, including Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Jorhat, Guwahati, Tezpur, Nagaon, Silchar, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Diphu, Bongaigaon and Shillong. GU, the oldest university in the northeast, recently secured a coveted place in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, entering the 1,201-1,500 global band. It also featured in the THE Asia University Rankings at 351-400, rising to 48th position among Indian higher-education institutions, the best showing for any university in the region.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Aasu to sponsor coaching of 40 UPSC aspirants from NE in Delhi every year
Guwahati: All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Monday announced a major initiative to provide special support to 40 UPSC aspirants from Assam and the northeast. They will be offered free coaching at selected Delhi institutes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the results for Assam in the UPSC-conducted civil services examination were not promising in the recent past, this year saw a drastic fall in the number of candidates from Assam and the northeast who qualified in the UPSC civil services final examination. On Monday, Aasu announced that every year, it will send 26 students from Assam and 14 students from other northeastern states, through the North East Student Organization (NESO) for training for the UPSC-conducted civil services examination in Delhi. In the first step of the project, this year, under the "Pratyasha" project, 25 candidates from Assam who succeeded in the UPSC prelims will be provided assistance for the main exam. The student union will cover all expenses for these 25 candidates to receive online or offline training at their chosen institution. Interested candidates who succeeded in the preliminary stage can apply by filling out a form on the student union's website The application process will continue until Jun 29. In the first week of July, assistance will be provided to 25 selected candidates. Candidate who have already enrolled in institutions for training can also apply, and the student union will provide assistance with training costs as much as possible. "They will receive training at selected institutions in Delhi. A special arrangement will be made to select and send these candidates to Delhi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Aasu will soon provide a detailed explanation on this matter," Aasu president Utpal Sarma and general secretary Samiran Phukan said in a statement on Monday. Aasu has devised a special plan to encourage students and youth from Assam to appear in the civil services examination and to create a cadre of efficient administrative officers from Assam. To advance this plan, the student union will proceed with advice from former Dibrugarh University VC Alak Kumar Buragohain, Assam Skill University VC Subhas Chandra Das, retired IAS officer Himangshu Sekhar Das, retired senior officer of Indian Railways Robin Kalita, and some former and current civil service officers. During the training in Delhi, the All Assamese Students' Association New Delhi will coordinate the efforts. Notably, in 2001-02, Aasu supported a group of candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of whom succeeded in the exam. This time, Aasu said their mission is more elaborate and planned. "Over the years, the number of qualifiers has been gradually decreasing. This has concerned both the people of Assam and Aasu. Various student groups and university groups of Aasu have been organising training camps for competitive exams from time to time. However, there is still much to be done to raise awareness for national-level competitive exams in Assam," said Utpal Sarma. Guwahati: All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Monday announced a major initiative to provide special support to 40 UPSC aspirants from Assam and the northeast. They will be offered free coaching at selected Delhi institutes. While the results for Assam in the UPSC-conducted civil services examination were not promising in the recent past, this year saw a drastic fall in the number of candidates from Assam and the northeast who qualified in the UPSC civil services final examination. On Monday, Aasu announced that every year, it will send 26 students from Assam and 14 students from other northeastern states, through the North East Student Organization (NESO) for training for the UPSC-conducted civil services examination in Delhi. In the first step of the project, this year, under the "Pratyasha" project, 25 candidates from Assam who succeeded in the UPSC prelims will be provided assistance for the main exam. The student union will cover all expenses for these 25 candidates to receive online or offline training at their chosen institution. Interested candidates who succeeded in the preliminary stage can apply by filling out a form on the student union's website The application process will continue until Jun 29. In the first week of July, assistance will be provided to 25 selected candidates. Candidate who have already enrolled in institutions for training can also apply, and the student union will provide assistance with training costs as much as possible. "They will receive training at selected institutions in Delhi. A special arrangement will be made to select and send these candidates to Delhi. Aasu will soon provide a detailed explanation on this matter," Aasu president Utpal Sarma and general secretary Samiran Phukan said in a statement on Monday. Aasu has devised a special plan to encourage students and youth from Assam to appear in the civil services examination and to create a cadre of efficient administrative officers from Assam. To advance this plan, the student union will proceed with advice from former Dibrugarh University VC Alak Kumar Buragohain, Assam Skill University VC Subhas Chandra Das, retired IAS officer Himangshu Sekhar Das, retired senior officer of Indian Railways Robin Kalita, and some former and current civil service officers. During the training in Delhi, the All Assamese Students' Association New Delhi will coordinate the efforts. Notably, in 2001-02, Aasu supported a group of candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of whom succeeded in the exam. This time, Aasu said their mission is more elaborate and planned. "Over the years, the number of qualifiers has been gradually decreasing. This has concerned both the people of Assam and Aasu. Various student groups and university groups of Aasu have been organising training camps for competitive exams from time to time. However, there is still much to be done to raise awareness for national-level competitive exams in Assam," said Utpal Sarma.
