Sonowal distributes aid under Nijut Moina, Nijut Babu at Dibrugarh college
Synopsis
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal attended a formal distribution of financial assistance under Assam's Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes at Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College, Dibrugarh, framing the state initiative as integral to India's Viksit Bharat vision.
Key Takeaways
Sarbananda Sonowal , Union Minister and former Assam CM, participated in a financial-aid distribution event in Dibrugarh on October 15, 2026 .
The Nijut Moina scheme supports girl students and Nijut Babu supports boy students in Assam's higher-education system.
The venue was Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College , a government college affiliated to Dibrugarh University , established in 1963 .
The schemes are run by the Assam Government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to curb economic dropouts in higher education.
Sonowal linked the initiative to the national Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, framing youth education as central to India's development goals.
At Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College in Dibrugarh on Thursday, October 15, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal handed over financial assistance directly to students under Assam's Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes — two state-government programmes designed to keep girls and boys respectively from abandoning higher education because of money.
What the Nijut schemes do — and why Dibrugarh
The Nijut Moina scheme targets girl students in higher education; its counterpart, Nijut Babu, extends similar support to boys. Both are Assam Government initiatives championed under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's administration to reduce economic-dropout risk — a stubborn problem across the Northeast. Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College, a government institution in Dibrugarh affiliated to Dibrugarh University and founded in 1963, was the venue for today's formal distribution event.
Sonowal, who governed Assam as Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021 before moving to the Union Cabinet, interacted with students after the disbursement — a personal touch that underscored his continued stake in the state's education agenda even from the Centre.
Viksit Bharat framing: local scheme, national ambition
'No student should have to give up the dream of higher education due to financial constraints,' Sonowal wrote, linking the state-level effort directly to the Viksit Bharat @2047 framework — the Government of India's overarching vision, promoted since 2022–23, to transform India into a fully developed nation by the centenary of independence. 'The dreams of our youth are the dreams of New India,' he added.
The framing is deliberate. A Union minister amplifying a state scheme run by a BJP chief minister stitches together two levels of government into a single narrative of youth empowerment — and signals to Northeast voters that the party's education commitments are being delivered on the ground, not just promised from Delhi.
With further district-level distribution rounds likely across Assam, today's event in Dibrugarh could be the first of many visible milestones in the run-up to state-budget discussions on expanded scheme coverage.
Point of View
Keeping the former CM visibly embedded in the state's welfare narrative. The deliberate invocation of 'Viksit Bharat' around a grassroots college event is textbook political branding: it elevates a state programme into a national-vision milestone. For the Northeast, where economic barriers to higher education remain acute, the Nijut schemes address a real gap — and their visibility benefits both the state administration and the party's credibility heading into future electoral cycles.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nijut Moina scheme in Assam?
Nijut Moina is an Assam Government financial assistance programme for girl students pursuing higher education, aimed at preventing dropouts due to economic hardship.
What is the Nijut Babu scheme?
Nijut Babu is the counterpart programme for boy students in Assam, providing financial aid to support their continuation in higher education.
Why did Sarbananda Sonowal visit Dibrugarh on October 15, 2026?
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal attended the formal distribution of financial assistance under the Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes at Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College, Dibrugarh, and interacted with students.
What is Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls' College?
It is a government women's college in Dibrugarh, Assam, established in 1963 and affiliated to Dibrugarh University.
How do the Nijut schemes connect to Viksit Bharat?
Sonowal framed both schemes as part of the Government of India's Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, arguing that empowering youth through education is essential to India becoming a developed nation by 2047.
