Assam cabinet clears ST status report for six communities, approves land for textile heritage museum

The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma approved a series of significant decisions aimed at advancing community inclusion, preserving cultural heritage and strengthening institutional frameworks in the state.

In a major development, the Cabinet approved the report submitted by the Group of Ministers (GoM) on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six major communities of Assam—Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi, and the Tea Tribes (Adivasis). The GoM was headed by Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, with Ministers Pijush Hazarika and Keshab Mahanta serving as members. 

With the Cabinet’s clearance, the report will now be placed before the Assam Legislative Assembly before being forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action. 

The long-standing demand for ST status by these communities has been a key sociopolitical issue in the state, and the Cabinet’s approval marks a crucial step forward.

The Cabinet also approved the transfer and modification of three bighas of land from the Government Muga Farm at Reshom Nagar in Khanapara, currently under the Handloom, Textiles & Sericulture Department, to the Cultural Affairs Department. 

The land will be used to build a state-of-the-art museum dedicated to Assam’s rich and diverse textile heritage. 

The project will be undertaken with support from JSW I&P Holdings Pvt. Ltd. 

The museum will prominently feature the historic Vrindavani Vastra—a rare and culturally significant textile created during the Vaishnavite renaissance of Srimanta Sankardeva—which is being brought on loan from the British Museum in London. The museum aims to become a major cultural landmark showcasing Assam’s weaving legacy, including muga silk traditions.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved the Assam Survey and Settlement Training Centre Teachers’ Service Rules, 2025. The new framework will govern recruitment processes, service conditions, and career progression for faculty members at the Assam Survey & Settlement Training Centre (ASSTC) located in Dakhingaon, Guwahati. The updated service rules are expected to enhance institutional efficiency, professional standards, and training quality at the ASSTC, which plays a key role in land administration capacity-building in the state.

The decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting reflect the government’s focus on community welfare, cultural preservation, and administrative reforms across Assam.