Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on September 25 asked universities in the state to prepare institution-specific plans with clear priorities, measurable milestones and timelines for strengthening higher education.

Kota chaired a meeting with university authorities and senior officials of the Higher Education Department to discuss implementation of the 28 Action Points emerging from the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries, held on the theme "Higher Education: Knowledge Economy".

The meeting focused on strengthening institutions and faculty, research and innovation, industry-academia partnerships, skill-based learning and digital transformation. Developing future-ready curricula and advancing reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 were also discussed.

Kota said the plans should go beyond compliance and result in improvements in institutional capacity, academic quality and student outcomes.

The meeting also reviewed ways to widen participation in higher education, including improving the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in states where it remains below the national level.

"The university-level plans will feed into a coordinated state-level approach, with regular review to ensure effective implementation," Kota said.

He said Assam's higher education sector is expanding through new universities, improved infrastructure and growing institutional capacity. The larger objective, he added, is to translate this expansion into greater access, stronger research capabilities, relevant skills and better opportunities for students.

The institution-level roadmaps are expected to feed into a coordinated state-level approach, with regular reviews of implementation.