Assam pays Rs 58.59 crore to 5.42 lakh students under Nijut Moina, Nijut Babu

Assam has paid the first 2026-27 instalment of its Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu student grants to 5,42,099 students, a total of Rs 58.59 crore. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma started the payments at a programme at Jyoti-Bishnu International Kala Mandir in Guwahati on Thursday, October 15, 2026. On Monday, October 19, he said in a post on X: "Through #NijutBabuMoina, we are supporting 5.42 lakh students as they move towards independence and bigger dreams." He also announced that the two schemes will reach students of four more universities next year, and that girls in nursing courses will be added.

Nijut Moina is a monthly cash grant from the Assam government for girl students who stay in education after school. It covers higher secondary (Classes 11 and 12), undergraduate and postgraduate study. The government has linked it to two goals: keeping girls in classrooms longer and reducing child marriage, which the Chief Minister has repeatedly described as a social problem the state wants to end. The idea is simple. If a family receives money each month while a daughter studies, the cost of keeping her in college falls, and the pressure to marry her off early weakens.

Nijut Babu applies the same logic to young men. When it was launched in February 2026, the government said its purpose was to stop boys from leaving college in their first year, often to start earning. With about one lakh boys now enrolled, the scheme has become a sizeable second arm of the programme.

The number of beneficiaries keeps rising. Reports describe the count of girls under Nijut Moina as having reached about 4.39 lakh this year. The Chief Minister has said that a growing beneficiary list does not worry the government and that he welcomes it as a sign that more students are turning their plans into action. A larger list also means a larger bill: the first instalment alone was close to Rs 59 crore.

The planned extension matters for two groups. Students at the four named universities, which have not been part of the scheme, may become eligible from next year. Girls in nursing courses, which train students for one of the most in-demand jobs in the health sector, will also be included. Nursing students often come from families with modest incomes and face long training periods, so regular support could make a real difference to who completes the course.

What should a student do next? If you are already enrolled in the scheme, check your bank account for the October instalment and contact your institution if it has not arrived. If you study at one of the four universities named, or are a girl in an ANM, GNM or BSc Nursing course, watch for the official notice and application window for next year, and ask your college office when it opens. Rely only on the state government's portals and your institution for application details, not on agents or social media posts.

Short-term: More than five lakh students in Assam receive money in their accounts in October, ahead of the festival season and mid-semester costs such as fees, books and travel.

Long-term: Extending the schemes to four more universities and to nursing courses widens the pool of eligible students. If the government's aim holds, more girls and boys stay in education for longer, and fewer girls are married before they finish their studies.

Who is affected: Girl students in higher secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Assam; male students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses; and, from next year, students of Srimanta Sankardeva University, Auniati University, Krishnaguru Adhyatmik University and Pragjyotishpur University, along with girls in nursing courses.

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