The Directorate of Higher Education (DHE), Assam, has mandated that all student migrations and lateral entries under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s Multiple Entry-Exit provisions must now be processed exclusively through the Assam SAMARTH Portal. This directive, effective immediately, aims to ensure transparent and uniform implementation across all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the state.
The move by the DHE, Assam, signifies a significant step towards digitising and streamlining academic mobility within the state’s higher education landscape. It impacts thousands of students enrolled in Four-Year Undergraduate Programmes (FYUGP) seeking to transfer between courses or institutions, ensuring their academic records and credit transfers are managed efficiently and without discrepancies.
What was announced
The Directorate of Higher Education, Assam, issued a notification, referenced by institutions like Dibrugarh University under notification number E-775718/15 dated July 2, 2026, making the SAMARTH Lateral Entry Portal compulsory for all student migrations. The directive applies to students seeking admission to the third, fifth, or seventh semesters of undergraduate programmes under the NEP 2020 framework. This includes transfers from one programme to another within the same institution or migration from one institution to another within Assam. Colleges and universities have received explicit instructions not to process any migration requests manually, offline, or through any alternative mechanism. Any migration carried out outside the designated portal will be considered unauthorised and will not be recognised for academic records, credit transfer, or other administrative purposes, according to the DHE, Assam.
Why it matters
This mandate is crucial for the seamless implementation of the NEP 2020’s Multiple Entry-Exit System (MEES) and horizontal mobility provisions in Assam. By centralising the process through the SAMARTH portal, the DHE aims to ensure transparency, uniformity, and a technology-enabled framework for student mobility. The system is designed to maintain the integrity and continuity of academic records, facilitate seamless credit transfer under the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), support accurate student lifecycle management, enable inter-university data synchronisation, and generate complete academic transcripts. This standardisation is expected to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for students and institutions alike, fostering a more agile and student-centric higher education environment.
Background: The National Education Policy 2020 and SAMARTH
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, adopted by the Government of India, seeks to transform higher education by promoting greater flexibility, interdisciplinarity, inclusivity, and innovation. A key reform under NEP 2020 is the Multiple Entry-Exit System (MEES), which allows students to enter and exit their undergraduate programmes at various stages, earning appropriate certifications (certificate after one year, diploma after two, bachelor’s degree after three, or a four-year degree with research). This system aims to reduce dropout rates and support lifelong learning by accommodating real-life challenges that might interrupt a student’s education.
The SAMARTH e-governance platform, an initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, launched in 2019, is integral to this digital transformation. SAMARTH (Smart Automated Management of Academic Resources for Transforming Higher Education) is an open-source, cloud-based platform designed to automate the internal workflows of Higher Education Institutions. It offers a comprehensive suite of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, including modules for admissions, examinations, finance, human resources, and student services. The platform’s primary goal is to provide efficient, transparent, and responsive e-governance, enabling HEIs to shift from manual to digitised administration. Across India, over 70 central and state universities have already adopted SAMARTH to streamline their operations. Assam’s move to mandate its use for student migration aligns with the broader national objective of building future-ready digital campuses.
Key details of the mandate
The directive from the Directorate of Higher Education, Assam, makes the use of the Assam SAMARTH Lateral Entry Portal (available at assamadm-le.samarth.ac.in) mandatory for specific student movements. This includes:
- All admissions or migrations involving entry into the third, fifth, or seventh semester of undergraduate programmes.
- Situations where a student shifts from one programme to another within the same institution.
- Cases where a student migrates from one institution to another within Assam.
The DHE has emphasised that any deviation from this online process will render the migration invalid for all academic and administrative purposes, including academic record maintenance, student lifecycle management, and credit transfer.
What’s next
The Directorate of Higher Education, Assam, has indicated that a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing student migration through the SAMARTH portal will be issued separately on or after July 15, 2026. Until the SOP is released, all universities and colleges are directed to comply with the current notification and ensure that the instructions are communicated to admission committees, examination branches, faculty members, and academic administrative staff. This ensures that institutions are prepared to manage the transition and implement the new digital framework effectively, supporting the state government’s objective of a seamless and transparent academic mobility system under NEP 2020.