Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, 20 August outlined a series of women-centred initiatives undertaken in the first 100 days of NDA 3.0, asserting that the state government's programmes are collectively aimed at building an Assam where women drive social and economic transformation. Sarma shared the progress across schemes covering livelihoods, education, maternal health, and financial support through his social media handles.

Livelihoods and Skills: Lakhimi Mistri and Swanirbhar Naari

Under the Lakhimi Mistri initiative, more than 6,875 women are currently undergoing training to become certified rural masons under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). The programme aims to equip women with technical construction skills, creating a pathway to sustainable livelihoods while increasing female participation in rural infrastructure work.

The Swanirbhar Naari scheme has supported more than 1,051 weavers and 60 women entrepreneurs. As many as 48,338 benchmarked products have been procured under the initiative, with ₹1.33 crore released to strengthen women-led livelihoods across the state.

Education and Child Marriage Prevention: Nijut Moina

Education remains a central pillar of the state's women's empowerment agenda. Under the Nijut Moina scheme, approximately 5.16 lakh girl students are expected to benefit during 2026-27. The government has positioned continued education as a key instrument in combating child marriage — a persistent challenge in Assam — by keeping girls enrolled through financial and institutional support.

Maternal and Adolescent Healthcare

On the health front, Assam's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined to 84, falling below the national average of 87 — marking the first time the state has recorded an MMR lower than the national figure. This is widely seen as a significant public health milestone for a state that has historically struggled with maternal health outcomes.

Additionally, 2.94 lakh adolescent girls have received vaccinations as part of strengthened preventive healthcare outreach. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), 78,490 eligible beneficiaries have been registered and ₹23.26 crore transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), providing direct financial assistance to women during motherhood.

The Broader Picture

Taken together, the initiatives span capital access, skill development, education, preventive healthcare, and maternal support — areas that development economists consistently identify as compounding levers for women's empowerment. Notably, Assam's MMR improvement comes against the backdrop of years of targeted health interventions, and the 100-day report card suggests those efforts are beginning to show measurable results.

This is the first structured progress review since the formation of NDA 3.0, and the Sarma government has framed it as evidence of sustained policy continuity rather than fresh announcements. How these numbers translate into ground-level outcomes will be closely watched in the months ahead.