GUWAHATI: Ahead of the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament, MP Gaurav Gogoi has raised serious concerns over Assam’s deteriorating education system, citing the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, which reveals the state's poor performance on all learning indicators.
Talking to the media, Gogoi criticised the education department’s lack of action in addressing the crisis, warning that the state's future development is at stake.
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Beyond education, the MP highlighted Assam’s dismal ranking of 23rd out of 36 states and union territories in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a reflection of broader governance failures. He further pointed out a stark economic contrast: while Assam grapples with underdevelopment, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ranks 9th among India’s richest Chief Ministers.
Gogoi also shed light on Assam’s economic struggles, citing the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹3.18 lakh crore for 2023-24, which places it 17th among Indian states. Assam’s per capita income of ₹80,440 remains far below the national average of ₹106,740, while the poverty rate stands at 19.35%, significantly higher than the national average of 14%. He called for urgent reforms to address these disparities and uplift living standards.
Concerns were also raised regarding the sharp decline in Assam’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which have dropped from 12.14 lakh in 2019 to 10.03 lakh in 2024, leading to the loss of over 3 lakh self-employment opportunities. The MP linked this decline to the slow progress of the Advantage Assam 1.0 initiative, where only 10 out of 63 projects have been completed, with no available data on the status of projects worth ₹85,987 crore.
Addressing Assam’s water crisis, Gogoi pointed out the state’s lag in the Jal Jeevan Mission, with only 81.32% of its target achieved, leaving 376 villages without access to clean drinking water. He also criticised the government's failure to clear several hundred crores in outstanding reimbursements under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana (PMJAY), which has caused a liquidity crunch in hospitals, affecting healthcare services.
On environmental concerns, the MP referenced the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directive to the Centre over Assam’s declining forest cover, which has shrunk by 86.66 square kilometre between 2021 and 2023. Gogoi stressed the urgent need for intervention to prevent further ecological damage.
Calling for immediate government action, Gogoi urged the state administration to prioritise education, economic revival, environmental conservation, and essential services, warning that continued neglect could push Assam further behind in national development rankings.
