Assam cabinet approves Rs 2,750-Cr World Bank loan to upgrade education facilities

Guwahati, July 23: In a major push for skill development and job-oriented education, the Assam Cabinet, on Wednesday, approved a Rs 2,750-crore loan from the World Bank to upgrade educational infrastructure and support training initiatives for the state’s youth.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting in Dibrugarh, said the funds would help build a skill-driven ecosystem across schools and early learning centres in the state.

Of the total amount, around 400 schools will undergo infrastructural development, and 1,733 Anganwadi centres will be upgraded — each receiving Rs 25 lakh for the purpose.

“We are also focusing on training teachers and heads of institutions. Principals and headmasters will receive management training as part of the initiative,” Sarma said.

The Centre will repay 90% of the loan amount, while the state government will bear the remaining Rs 275 crore, the Chief Minister added.

As part of efforts to create global employment opportunities, Sarma also announced that 3,000 youth from Assam will be trained in Japanese under the Chief Minister’s Foreign Language Initiative for Global Human Talent (CM-FLIGHT) scheme.

The programme aims to equip young people with language and technical skills for overseas placements.

“In the first phase, 3,000 youth will be trained. Typically, such training costs around Rs 3.5 lakh. Under the CM-FLIGHT scheme, the government will offer a scholarship of Rs 1.5 lakh per candidate. The rest can be availed through bank loans,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the trainees will be able to repay the loans after gaining employment abroad.

Currently, three job-oriented courses — driving, IT skills, and nursing — will be offered under the programme in partnership with Japanese companies.

The first batch of training is expected to begin in October, with plans to expand into fields like engineering in later phases.

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