Assam launches mass bicycle scheme to curb dropout rates

A statewide push to reduce student dropout rates took centre stage on December 11 as Assam unveiled a scheme to distribute bicycles to more than three lakh pupils in class 9.

The government said the initiative aims to ease long commutes for students in rural and interior regions, where distance to secondary schools remains one of the main barriers to continued education. A total of 3,10,031 students from government and provincialised schools — including tea garden model schools and Adarsha Vidyalayas — are set to receive bicycles. Of them, 1,34,432 are boys, and 1,75,608 are girls.

Authorities framed the move as part of a broader effort to prevent dropouts at key transition points. During the launch, the chief minister noted that “six per cent of enrolled students leave school four to five years after admission”, followed by another eight per cent around class 8. The combined 14 per cent dropout figure between primary enrolment and class 8, he said, rises sharply at higher secondary level, where the rate touches 40 per cent. When “40 per cent of a society can’t complete their education”, he warned, long-term aspirations are at risk.

Officials argue that financial stress and long travel distances continue to push students out of the system. The government says it has expanded measures such as free textbooks, uniforms and midday meals, and recently introduced free college enrolment. Under the Nijut Moina scheme, girls in higher secondary receive Rs 1,000 a month, Rs 1,250 at undergraduate level and Rs 2,500 at postgraduate level. A similar scheme for boys is being planned.

Announcing the bicycle rollout, the chief minister said many children possess “hidden talent” but need a supportive environment to nurture it. The new scheme, he added, is intended to ensure that secondary school is within reach for all students, regardless of where they live or their financial background.