On Thursday, November 20, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered employment letters to 377 Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and TET-cum-Recruitment qualified candidates from the Tea Tribe and Adivasi groups during a ceremony conducted at Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
Assam's total number of government recruitments since 2021 now stands at 1,35,376, ANI reports.
Furthermore, at the same event, Sarma handed over funding to educational institutions to waive fees for high school & college students from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households for the academic year 2025-26.
Speaking at the event, Sarma stated that the administration has fulfilled the pledges made during the 2021 Assembly election campaign.
"Although the commitment was to appoint one lakh youth to government jobs, as of today, 1,35,376 candidates have been appointed through a completely transparent process," he said.
He noted that this statistic only applies to formal roles within the Assam government and does not include contract-based appointments made under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, National Health Mission, and other initiatives.
Addressing long-standing educational gaps in tea garden regions, Sarma revealed that while only primary schools existed previously, his administration has now established 120 Model Higher Secondary Schools, with plans to add 100 more by January.
He also confirmed that teacher recruitment in these schools will prioritise candidates from the Tea-Tribe community to ensure instruction aligns with local language and culture.
The Chief Minister further noted that a 3 per cent reservation has been introduced for Tea-Tribe and Adivasi communities across Grade III and IV government jobs under the OBC category, with proposals to extend this to Grade I and II positions.
Reflecting on the significance of the appointments, Sarma described the new teachers as “saplings” who, over the next decade, will “grow into banyan trees”.
Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, Cooperation Minister Jogen Mohan, Tea Tribe and Adivasi Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Sanjay Kishan, Rupjyoti Kurmi, Terash Gowala, Diganta Ghatowal, and several senior officers of the Education Department were present on the occasion.