The Assam Government has initiated the scrutiny of over 25,000 applications for school and teacher provincialisation under the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Reorganisation of Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2025. Concurrently, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced plans to establish an Adarsh School in every Assembly constituency across the state.
These twin initiatives underscore the state’s commitment to regularising the services of educators and enhancing the quality of public education infrastructure. The provincialisation drive aims to bring thousands of teachers into the government fold, providing them with job security and improved emoluments, while the Adarsh School scheme seeks to standardise high-quality education, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
What was announced
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu informed the Assam Legislative Assembly on Thursday, July 9, during the Budget Session, that the government had commenced the rigorous scrutiny of more than 25,000 applications for school and teacher provincialisation. These applications were submitted through an online portal launched this year, specifically designed for institutions and teachers to apply directly under the amended Act.
The Minister provided a breakdown of the applications received: 6,163 from lower primary schools, 10,101 from upper primary schools, 5,733 from high schools, 1,222 from senior secondary schools, 201 from higher secondary schools, and 1,698 from degree colleges. Mr. Pegu stressed that the ongoing scrutiny focuses on verifying whether applicants meet the eligibility criteria stipulated by the Act.
In addition to the provincialisation update, Mr. Pegu announced the government’s ambitious plan to set up an Adarsh School in each of Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies. He stated that 58 such schools have already been established, with proposals sought from constituencies yet to receive one.
Why it matters
The provincialisation process holds significant implications for thousands of teachers and their families across Assam. Provincialisation means that the state government takes over the liabilities for paying fixed salaries, gratuity, pension, and other benefits, effectively bringing teachers into government service. This move addresses the long-standing demands of teachers in venture educational institutions, many of whom currently receive meagre salaries, some as low as Rs 10,000-12,000 a month, as highlighted by Congress MLA MD Ashraful Islam Sheikh in the Assembly. Provincialised teachers will receive a full scale of pay and emoluments as per state government norms, although they cannot claim benefits for past services rendered before provincialisation and will be governed by the New Pension Scheme.
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu affirmed the government’s commitment to improving school education while strictly adhering to National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) norms, asserting that there would be no compromise on quality. He also mentioned that tutors, whose remuneration increases by six per cent annually, can be inducted as teachers if they acquire the necessary professional qualifications. For teachers who may be excluded from provincialisation due to factors like adverse student-teacher ratios, the proposed Guru Dakshina Scheme will offer a one-time gratuity. Approximately 15,000 applications have already been received under this scheme and are currently under verification.
The Adarsh School scheme is crucial for standardising and elevating educational quality across the state. These schools, affiliated with CBSE, are envisioned to possess infrastructure and facilities comparable to Kendriya Vidyalayas, including smart classrooms, science laboratories, computer laboratories, and libraries. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emphasised that these institutions will also incorporate ‘Project Child’, aimed at fostering holistic mental and physical development in students. The establishment of an Adarsh School in every constituency aims to provide exemplary education, particularly benefiting students in rural areas and promoting a uniform standard of learning.
Background
The provincialisation of teachers’ services has a long and complex history in Assam, marked by several legislative interventions aimed at regularising the employment of educators in “venture” educational institutions. Venture schools are those established by local communities that later seek government recognition and support.
The journey of provincialisation began with the Assam Elementary Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1974, which aimed to provincialise the services of elementary school teachers and bring them under direct state government management. This was followed by the Assam Secondary Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1977, which extended similar provisions to secondary education. Over the decades, various Acts and amendments were introduced to address the growing number of venture schools and colleges and the demands for provincialisation.
A significant milestone was the Assam Venture Educational Institution (Provincialisation of Services) Act, 2011, which aimed to cover deserving institutions, teachers, and staff. This was further refined by the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organisation of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017, which outlined definitions and eligibility criteria for provincialising services of teachers in educational institutions established before January 1, 2006. The 2017 Act also established District Scrutiny Committees and a State Level Scrutiny Committee to evaluate institutions for provincialisation.
The latest legislative framework, the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Reorganisation of Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2025, builds upon these previous acts. This Amendment Act, which was tabled by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu in the Assembly in November 2025 and subsequently passed, aims to provide clarity, resolve ambiguities, and ensure that only eligible teachers are included in the provincialisation process. It also makes venture schools and colleges eligible for provincialisation if they possess at least one government document dated on or before January 1, 2006. The 2025 Act is deemed to have come into force retrospectively from April 11, 2017.
The Adarsh School scheme, also known as Model Schools, is an integral part of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan (RMSA), a mission launched by the Government of India in March 2009. These schools have been operational in Assam since January 1, 2015, with the primary objective of enhancing the quality of secondary education and increasing enrollment rates. The Assam government’s current push to establish an Adarsh School in every Assembly constituency is an expansion of this ongoing effort to improve educational infrastructure and access, particularly in rural settings.
Key details
The current provincialisation drive involves the scrutiny of applications across various educational levels. The 25,000-plus applications include submissions from lower primary, upper primary, high, senior secondary, higher secondary schools, and degree colleges. The eligibility for provincialisation is primarily guided by the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Reorganisation of Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2025. This Act makes institutions eligible if they hold at least one government document, such as permission, recognition, concurrence, or a no-objection certificate, issued on or before January 1, 2006. The Act also mandates adherence to NCTE norms regarding teacher-student ratios, meaning that schools with low enrolment may not have all their teachers provincialised.
For the Adarsh School scheme, the target is to establish one such institution in each of Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies. As of the latest update, 58 Adarsh Schools have been set up, and the government is actively seeking proposals for the remaining constituencies. These schools are designed to be CBSE-affiliated and equipped with modern facilities, including smart classrooms, science laboratories, computer laboratories, and libraries, aiming to provide a high standard of education. The government is also conducting a statewide survey to identify schools with poor enrolment for potential merger or reorganisation, to optimise teacher deployment and educational efficiency. Additionally, there are plans to revamp 2,000 vernacular medium schools across the state, with each receiving a financial outlay of Rs 10 crore. The Chief Minister also announced plans to open 80 more model schools in tea garden areas, building on the success of 118 such schools already functioning.
Reactions
During the Assembly discussion, Congress MLA MD Ashraful Islam Sheikh welcomed the provincialisation process but urged the government to provide a timeline for bringing the remaining venture schools under the scheme. He also drew attention to the challenging conditions faced by venture school teachers, many of whom receive modest monthly salaries, and advocated for the regularisation of their services, along with a potential relaxation in Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) norms.
Another Congress MLA, Abdur Rahim Ahmed, sought a relaxation in the eligibility criteria for venture school teachers who were excluded following the 2025 amendment, and called for further amendments to the Act. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu responded by stating that MLAs could submit proposals for changes, which the department would duly examine. However, Mr. Pegu firmly reiterated that the government would not compromise on quality and eligibility criteria for teacher appointments, ruling out any relaxation in TET norms.
AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman expressed concern regarding the shortage of postgraduate teachers (PGTs) following the upgradation of several high schools to higher secondary institutions, noting the adverse impact on students due to the lack of qualified faculty.
What’s next
The scrutiny of the 25,000-plus provincialisation applications is currently underway, with the Education Department meticulously verifying eligibility criteria. The next step will involve the issuance of provincialisation orders for eligible institutions and teachers.
For the Adarsh School scheme, the government will continue to solicit proposals from the remaining Assembly constituencies that do not yet have such a school. The construction and operationalisation of these new schools will proceed, aligning with the vision of providing high-quality, CBSE-affiliated education across the state.
The Education Minister also indicated that a unified service rule for school teachers is in its final stages of finalisation. Once this rule is established, the government plans to undertake fresh recruitment drives for teachers, including creating additional postgraduate teacher posts to address shortages arising from school upgradations. Furthermore, the statewide survey to assess schools with low enrolment for potential merger or reorganisation will continue, aiming to improve teacher deployment and overall educational efficiency.