The Government of Assam, through its Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE), has issued a notification regarding the ongoing provincialisation of Lower Primary (LP) and Upper Primary (UP) schools across the state. This significant policy move aims to convert temporary teaching positions into permanent government employment, providing long-awaited job security and benefits to numerous educators. The provincialisation drive is a crucial step in formalising the employment status of teachers in venture educational institutions, integrating them into the state government’s service framework. This initiative is expected to bring stability and improved remuneration to a substantial number of teachers, addressing a demand that has persisted for decades within Assam’s education sector.

What was announced

The Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam, has published a notification concerning the provincialisation of Lower Primary and Upper Primary schools. This announcement signifies the state government’s continued efforts to regularise the services of teachers in these institutions, thereby bringing them under the direct purview of government employment. The process is currently ongoing, as indicated by the official communication. This provincialisation falls under the ambit of the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organisation of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017, which has undergone several amendments, including a significant one in 2025. The notification directs the streamlining of applications from eligible venture schools and their staff, ensuring a transparent and systematic conversion of posts.

Why it matters

The provincialisation of LP and UP schools holds immense significance for thousands of teachers in Assam, as it transforms their precarious temporary employment into permanent government service. This change guarantees a full scale of pay, allowances, and other emoluments consistent with those received by government employees of corresponding ranks. Previously, many teachers in venture schools operated without the full benefits and security enjoyed by their government-employed counterparts. The move is part of the state government’s broader commitment to enhancing the welfare of educators and improving the overall quality of elementary education. Provincialisation ensures that teachers are eligible for pensionary benefits under the New Pension Scheme applicable to state government teachers, a critical aspect of long-term financial security. Furthermore, it aims to standardise educational institutions and attract qualified professionals to the teaching profession in the state.

Background

The concept of provincialisation in Assam’s education sector has a long and complex history, rooted in the state’s efforts to bring privately managed ‘venture’ educational institutions under government control. Early legislative frameworks, such as the Assam Elementary Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1974, and the Assam Secondary Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1977, laid the groundwork for integrating teachers and staff into government service. These acts were designed to improve the management, control, and quality of education by formalising the status of institutions that had initially been established by local communities. Over the years, the provincialisation process saw several phases. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, recalling his tenure as Education Minister, noted that over 50,000 teachers across primary, secondary, and college levels were provincialised in phases since 2011. Significant milestones include the provincialisation of services for 21,957 teachers and staff in primary schools, 14,034 in secondary schools, and 3,180 in colleges following efforts in 2011. Subsequently, under the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organisation of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017, an additional 9,895 teachers in primary schools, 5,245 in secondary schools, and 1,746 teachers and professors in colleges were provincialised. In February 2021, the then Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the provincialisation of 1,698 Lower Primary schools, benefiting 3,309 teachers, and 2,107 Upper Primary schools, benefiting 6,586 teachers. This exercise alone brought 9,895 teachers under the Directorate of Elementary Education’s purview. In August 2020, the state government provincialised 3,980 teachers’ posts across 382 educational institutions. A major development occurred in February 2026 with the launch of the Provincialisation Management System (PMS) portal by Chief Minister Sarma. This digital platform was introduced to streamline, monitor, and process applications from non-provincialised venture schools and colleges, along with their teaching and non-teaching staff, under the amended 2017 Act. The Chief Minister described the portal as a decisive and transparent push to resolve the long-pending issue, creating a centralised database to end ambiguity and alleged irregularities in the process. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, while tabling the Assam Education Bill in the Legislative Assembly in November 2025, highlighted a series of significant reforms aimed at restructuring the provincialisation process. However, in March 2023, Minister Pegu had clarified that there were no immediate plans to amend the existing legislation governing provincialisation and that a state-level committee would be responsible for selecting school teachers going forward. He also stated in July 2022 that the government would not provincialise any more venture schools that did not fall within the purview of the existing Act.

Key details

For an educational institution to be eligible for provincialisation, it must generally have been established prior to January 1, 2006. The 2025 amendment to the Assam Education Act specifically made institutions established up to 2006 eligible, leading to the regularisation of thousands of teaching posts based on existing permissions and No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Applicants for provincialisation are required to submit a comprehensive set of documents. These include recognition certificates, land documents, details of academic performance (such as the pass percentage of the last four years), and credentials of each teaching and non-teaching staff member. Upon provincialisation, teachers receive the full scale of pay and emoluments, including salary and allowances, as per the norms applicable to state government employees of corresponding ranks. However, they are treated as fresh appointees from the date of provincialisation and cannot claim any benefits for past services rendered before this formalisation. Their pension benefits are governed by the New Pension Scheme. The policy also addresses the status of tutors. Those whose services are provincialised as tutors will have separate terms and conditions of service, including emoluments, as notified by the competent authority. They are eligible for upgrading their posts to full teacher status if they acquire the prescribed educational and professional qualifications within five years from the date of provincialisation of the venture educational institution. Some provisions in the 2025 amendment extend this period to seven years. In a move to enhance teacher welfare, the Assam Cabinet approved a six per cent annual salary hike for Grade III and Grade IV employees of provincialised institutions in November 2025. Additionally, the mandatory service period for teachers requesting transfers from remote districts, including Dhubri and South Salmara, has been significantly reduced. Female teachers can now apply for transfers after five years of service, and male teachers after seven years, a major relaxation from the previous requirement of 10 to 12 years. For those whose services cannot be provincialised under the existing rules, the government introduced a ‘Gurudakshina’ scheme in the Vote-on-Account Budget presented in February 2026. This scheme offers a financial package and a preferential marking system to help such individuals compete for other government jobs.

Reactions

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has consistently underscored the government’s commitment to resolving the long-standing issue of provincialisation.

“The PMS portal would streamline, monitor and process applications from non-provincialised venture schools and colleges, along with their teaching and non-teaching staff, under the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Teachers and Re-Organisation of Educational Institutions) Act, 2017, as amended in 2025,” Chief Minister Sarma said during the launch of the portal in February 2026.

He further highlighted the government’s track record, stating that over 50,000 teachers across various educational levels have been provincialised in phases since 2011. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has also reiterated the government’s stance on the provincialisation process.

“Schools created up to January 1, 2026, will be provincialised and schools with concurrence, recognition and affiliation, including those having NOC status, will also be considered, and their teachers will be brought under provincialisation,” Minister Pegu said in November 2025, explaining the provisions of the tabled Education Bill.

However, the provincialisation efforts have also faced scrutiny. In November 2025, the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) raised concerns, with venture school employees in Kokrajhar alleging that the new Bill ignored Sixth Schedule protections and rights under the BTR Accord.

What’s next

The provincialisation process for LP and UP schools is ongoing, with the Directorate of Elementary Education actively processing applications. The Provincialisation Management System (PMS) portal continues to serve as the central platform for managing these applications, ensuring a transparent and efficient mechanism for teachers and institutions. The state government is also pursuing broader reforms in the education sector. These include initiatives aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, vocational education reforms aimed at boosting youth skills, and measures to rationalise the school network by merging primary schools with low enrolment. Readers are advised to monitor official notifications from the Directorate of Elementary Education and the state government for further updates on the provincialisation status and related educational policies.

Sources & References

Source: Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam official notification