Guwahati: The Assam Education Department is set to distribute appointment letters for 4,717 posts, primarily for teachers, during a function scheduled for September 23, 2026. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced the upcoming mega recruitment drive, which will fill vacancies across various levels of the department.
This significant recruitment drive forms part of the state government’s broader commitment to generate two lakh government jobs over five years, as outlined in its “Mission 2 Lakh Govt Jobs” initiative. The appointments are expected to address long-standing staffing gaps in educational institutions and provide crucial employment opportunities for the state’s youth.
What was announced
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu confirmed on September 7, 2026, that appointment letters for 4,717 positions within the Education Department would be handed over on September 23, 2026. The minister stated that the majority of these posts are for teachers, ranging from school to college levels. He further added that vacancies in other non-teaching roles would also be filled during this exercise.
Of the total appointments, 3,811 positions are in schools, 803 in higher education, and 103 in technical education sectors. The announcement also includes the appointments of 1,298 teachers whose cases were previously stayed by the Gauhati High Court over a grace mark issue, following the court’s decision to vacate the stay order.
Why it matters
The distribution of 4,717 appointment letters is a crucial step in strengthening Assam‘s education infrastructure and addressing the persistent issue of teacher shortages. This initiative is particularly significant given that over 15.43 lakh people were registered as active job seekers in Assam as of June 30, 2026, according to data presented in the Legislative Assembly. The state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.9 percent in 2023-24, higher than the national average of 3.2 percent, highlighting the urgent need for job creation.
These appointments are expected to improve the student-teacher ratio, enhance the quality of education, and provide stability to thousands of aspiring educators. The move aligns with the government’s broader vision of creating two lakh public sector jobs over the next five years, a target reiterated by Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah during the state Budget presentation on July 9, 2026.
Background
Assam has been actively pursuing a large-scale employment generation agenda, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma‘s government launching “Mission 2 Lakh Govt Jobs” to fulfill its electoral promise of providing two lakh government jobs within five years. The state has already undertaken over 1.64 lakh recruitments in the previous tenure through various departmental processes.
In February 2026, Chief Minister Sarma confirmed a massive recruitment drive for approximately 75,000 teacher and lecturer posts in 2026, aiming to address staffing gaps and ensure quality education. This followed previous efforts, including a recruitment drive for 4,500 Lower Primary (LP) and Upper Primary (UP) teacher posts announced in January 2025, with applications accepted from February 15 to March 31 of that year. Additionally, in August 2024, the government announced the recruitment of 35,133 teachers for elementary education, specifically for contractual and state pool teachers under Samagra Shiksha Assam (SSA) who had completed five years of service.
The state has also focused on education reforms in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP was launched for higher educational institutes in Assam in June 2023, with Chief Minister Sarma calling it a “historic day” for the state. Earlier, in November 2021, the Assam Cabinet decided to restructure the state education policy to a 15-year school education system, aligning with the NEP’s 5+3+3+4 structure. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu had stated in 2022 that Assam aimed to implement 75 percent of the NEP by 2022 and achieve 100 percent by 2023.
Moreover, the government has taken steps to regularise the jobs of contractual teachers. In May 2024, Minister Pegu announced that contractual teachers’ jobs would be regularised, ensuring more stable employment. In August 2026, he clarified that around 15,000 contractual teachers under the Samagra Shiksha scheme had been regularised, becoming regular state government employees.
Key details
The upcoming appointment ceremony on September 23, 2026, will see the distribution of appointment letters for 4,717 posts. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu specified that the majority of these positions are for teachers across various educational levels.
The breakdown of posts is as follows:
- Schools: 3,811 posts
- Higher Education: 803 posts
- Technical Education: 103 posts
This recruitment drive also includes 1,298 teachers whose appointments were previously on hold due to a grace mark issue, which has now been resolved by the Gauhati High Court.
What’s next
Following the distribution of appointment letters on September 23, 2026, the newly appointed personnel are expected to join their respective departments. The Education Department is also preparing to publish a ‘White Paper’ that will cover all areas of education, including school, college, and technical education, detailing the reforms and developments since 2011. Minister Pegu indicated that the ‘White Paper’ is expected to be released within the next two months.
The state government continues its focus on employment generation, with Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah stating in July 2026 that the government aims to create two lakh additional employment opportunities across the broader public sector ecosystem over the next five years. This includes examining the creation of new posts in various sectors, including educational institutions.