Assam Assembly Approves Six Education Bills Amid Controversy
The Assam Legislative Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on Saturday as it passed six significant education bills while opposition members staged a walkout, alleging procedural violations by ruling party legislators.
Contentious Debate and Voting Process
Following over four hours of intense debate on four bills presented by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, opposition parties including Congress, CPI(M), and Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi expressed deep dissatisfaction. Their main grievance centered around the government's refusal to accept any of the amendments they had proposed.
The situation escalated when Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia from Congress demanded voting on the amendments, receiving support from CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Independent member Akhil Gogoi. As Speaker Biswajit Daimary initiated the process of passing the bills, Saikia declared they would not withdraw their proposed amendments.
Alleged Rule Violations Spark Walkout
In response to the demand for voting, Speaker Daimary ordered the immediate closure of all House doors, preventing any MLA from entering or leaving. However, opposition benches created an uproar by alleging that approximately 10 ruling BJP legislators had entered the House after the Speaker's order.
While treasury benches refuted these allegations, the Speaker maintained he was unaware of any late entries. This led to opposition members moving to the Well of the House and eventually staging a walkout in protest.
Earlier in the session, AIUDF members faced suspension for displaying placards that highlighted concerns about the future of teachers and educational institutions.
Key Bills Passed and Opposition Concerns
Among the significant amendments proposed by the opposition were:
- Relaxation of cut-off year for provincialisation of educational institutions and teachers' posts
- Reduction of minimum enrollment criteria
- Inclusion of madrassas under the acts
Education Minister Ranoj Pegu defended the government's position, stating these changes couldn't be implemented as they would create legal complications.
In the absence of opposition members, the House passed four crucial bills:
- The Assam Non-governmental Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Assam Education (Provincialisation of Teachers and Re-organisation of Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (Regulation of Posting and Transfer) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Additionally, 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 on the final day of the Winter Session.
The passage of these six education bills marks a significant development in Assam's educational landscape, though the manner of their approval has raised questions about parliamentary procedures and bipartisan cooperation.
