The Assam Legislative Assembly witnessed a day of high drama on Saturday as it passed six significant education bills, a move overshadowed by a walkout staged by opposition parties who alleged procedural irregularities during the voting process.
Legislative Action Amidst Protest
The Winter Session's final day saw the approval of four major bills introduced by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, followed by the passage of two university bills. The legislative process, however, was far from smooth. After more than four hours of intense debate, members from the Congress, CPI(M), and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi expressed profound dissatisfaction that none of their proposed amendments were accepted by the government.
The situation escalated when Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress pressed for a vote on the amendments, a demand that found support from CPI(M) legislator Manoranjan Talukdar and the Independent member. As Speaker Biswajit Daimary proceeded with the process of passing the bills, Saikia declared that the opposition would not withdraw its amendments.
The Walkout and Allegations
In a decisive move, Speaker Daimary ordered all doors of the House to be shut immediately, a standard procedure to prevent any MLA from entering or leaving during critical voting proceedings. This action, however, became the center of a major controversy.
Opposition benches alleged that approximately 10 ruling BJP legislators entered the House after the Speaker's order, a charge vehemently refuted by the treasury benches. With the Speaker maintaining he was unaware of any such late entries, the frustrated opposition members moved to the Well of the House and subsequently staged a walkout in protest.
The Six Bills That Were Passed
With the opposition absent from the House, the Assembly cleared the following four key amendment bills:
- The Assam Non-governmental Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- The Assam Education (Provincialisation of Teachers and Re-organisation of Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- The Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (Regulation of Posting and Transfer) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- The Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
In addition, two other bills—the Azim Premji University Bill, 2025, and the North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM) University Bill, 2025—were passed by voice vote. Both were also introduced by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu.
Contentious Amendments and Government Stance
Among the key amendments proposed by the opposition were the relaxation of the cut-off year for the provincialisation of educational institutions and teachers' posts, lowering the minimum enrollment criteria, and the inclusion of madrassas under the acts. In his reply, Minister Pegu stood firm, maintaining that these changes could not be accommodated as they would entail legal problems.
Earlier in the session, the atmosphere was already charged, with members of the AIUDF being suspended for displaying placards that cited concerns over the future of teachers and educational institutions in the state.
The passage of these six bills marks a significant overhaul of the education landscape in Assam, touching upon critical areas such as fee regulation in private institutions, the provincialisation of teacher services, and the streamlining of teacher transfers. However, the manner of their passing, amidst protest and walkout, underscores the deep political divisions on education policy in the state.
