Dispur : The Assam Assembly on Saturday, November 29, approved six significant bills related to the state’s Education Department, pushing forward a sweeping set of policy reforms. However, the legislation was passed amid a complete opposition walkout, triggering political controversy over the voting process and lack of debate.
Four Key Amendment Bills Cleared
During the Winter Session, the House passed four major amendment bills aimed at restructuring various aspects of school and higher education. These include:
- 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
The debates on these four bills, all introduced by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, continued for more than four hours. Despite extensive discussions, the opposition—Congress, CPI(M), and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi—claimed none of their proposed amendments were accepted.
Opposition members demanded formal voting on the amendments, but the government did not respond, prompting frustration across the opposition benches.
Opposition Walks Out Over Voting Demand
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia argued that the bills required proper scrutiny, debate, and a voting process. CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi echoed his view, urging the Speaker to allow voting on the suggested changes.
When the Speaker proceeded with passing the bills without addressing their request, the opposition staged a walkout, leaving the House before the bills were adopted.
Two More Bills Passed by Voice Vote
In addition to the amendment bills, the Assembly also passed:
- Azim Premji University Bill, 2025
- North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM) University Bill, 2025
These were introduced by Minister Pegu on the final day of the session and were cleared through a voice vote, with no opposition members present.
Pegu later posted on X that the government’s goal is to “strengthen Assam’s education sector,” citing the passage of the two university bills along with the Rabindranath Tagore University (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Su-Ka-Pha University Bill, 2025.
Government Says Reforms Are Necessary
According to Pegu, the newly passed bills are designed to streamline teacher management, regulate school fees, reorganise institutions, and improve service conditions for staff.
He said the collective reforms would contribute to long-term improvements in both school and higher education systems.
Opposition Calls for Deeper Scrutiny
Opposition leaders criticised the government for pushing the bills through “without adequate discussion.” They insist that each amendment has significant implications and should have undergone detailed examination before passage.
A Major Shift in Assam’s Education Framework
With the passing of these six bills, the Assam government has initiated a series of structural changes in the education sector. However, the dispute over the legislative process suggests that the debate is far from over, with opposition parties vowing to revive the issue in upcoming sessions.
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