Assam to close-down all state-run madrassas from November: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that all the state-run madrassas will be closed down from November.

"We will close down state-run madrassas in Assam from November. The government will release a notification in this regard," Sarma told the media.

On Tuesday, the government had made the announcement in the Assembly, during a discussion on budgetary allocation for the education department when some legislators were demanding provincialisation of madrasas, accoeding to a report in the Telegraph.

Along with it, he said that  Sanskrit tols (schools) will also be shut down as it proceeds to clamp down on religious education with public money.

According to a report in Scroll, Assam has 614 recognised madrasas, and 17 are Urdu medium.

He also announced that the state has launched a `Sneha Sparsh` scheme under which state government will bear the cost of organ transplant in children below the age of 12 years."We have launched a scheme under which children who are below 12 years and require a liver transplant, kidney transplant or bone marrow transplant, all these services will be provided free of cost by the government," Sarma said. 

"A camp will be organized every month on 10th for everyone to avail the scheme. State government will fund the scheme which is named as "Sneha Sparsh"," he added.

(With agency inputs)