The Assam Assembly passed six bills related to the Education Department on Saturday. Meanwhile, opposition members staged a walkout, alleging that ruling party MLAs barged into the House after the Speaker ordered all doors closed for voting on their amendments.
After more than four hours of debate on Education Minister Ranoj Pegu’s four bills, the Congress, CPI(M), and independent MLA Akhil Gogoi expressed displeasure that the government had not approved any of their amendments.
Congress opposition leader Debabrata Saikia demanded a vote on the amendments, which was supported by CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and an independent member. As Speaker Biswajit Daimary began the process of passing the bills, Saikia stated that he would not withdraw the proposed amendments. Daimary immediately ordered all doors closed, preventing any MLA from entering or leaving the House.
However, the opposition bench alleged that approximately 10 ruling BJP MLAs entered the House despite the Speaker’s order. However, the Treasury bench denied this allegation. When the Speaker stated that he was unaware of anyone arriving late, opposition members entered the well of the House and staged a walkout. Previously, AIUDF members were suspended for displaying placards expressing concern about the future of teachers and educational institutions.
Amendments brought by the opposition included relaxing the cut-off year for educational institutions and teaching posts, lowering the minimum enrollment criteria, and including madrasas under the Act. Minister Pegu, in his response, stated that these changes could not be made as they would create legal complications. In the absence of any opposition member, the House passed the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, the Assam Education Bill, 2025, the Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers Bill, 2025, and the Assam Education) Bill, 2025.
Along with these four bills, two more bills – the Azim Premji University Bill, 2025, and the North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM) University Bill, 2025 – also introduced by Pegu, were passed by voice vote on the last day of the winter session.
