From offering free education to guaranteeing jobs for young people, political parties are appealing to young voters ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, who represent a significant portion of the electorate.
Existing schemes providing fee waivers and stipends give the ruling party an advantage in attracting young voters, but other important issues, such as affordable courses for the modern age, the quality of education in the public sector, and dignified employment opportunities, still need to be addressed.
Out of the state's 2.50 crore electorate, over 6 lakh are young voters aged 18-19, and another 66 lakh are in the 20-29 age group.
"As Assam heads towards the elections, the inclusive policy approach adopted by the current government towards the state's youth can certainly be a key factor in its electoral success," said Karavi Barman, an assistant professor at the Post-Graduate Department of Law, Gauhati University.
She emphasized that schemes like 'Nijut Moina', 'Nijut Babu', and SVAYEM have been instrumental in enabling students and youth to pursue their education and build careers, overcoming economic barriers.
'Nijut Moina', a flagship program of the current government aimed at preventing child marriage and dropout rates, provides monthly stipends of up to Rs 2,500 to all female students from class 11 to post-graduation, starting in 2024.
A similar program, 'Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Asoni', was launched in January, providing monthly support to first-year undergraduate and postgraduate boys to prevent dropouts.
Other programs by the BJP-led government for students include 'Jibon Prerena', which provides Rs 25,000 annually to fresh graduates, and 'Jibon Anuprerna', which provides one-time stipends for research scholars.
The Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA) and Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM) are among other programs that help young people start their own businesses.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) state secretary Manash Pratim Kalita maintained that these programs have benefited students, particularly those from economically weaker sections.
"The programs over the last 10 years have been commendable. They have particularly helped students from poorer families, as they could not afford higher education before," he said.
"The scholarship or stipend money helps pay for education, buy essential items, and even pay for form filling without adding extra burden on our families," Mahanta added.
However, Students' Federation of India (SFI) state joint secretary Utpola Das claimed that these programs are temporary fixes rather than providing long-term solutions.
"On the ground, the existing schemes are failing to keep students in the system. What the education sector truly needs are durable, structural interventions such as merit-based scholarships rather than schemes that merely create passive 'beneficiaries'," she maintained.
Echoing Das, SFI state secretary Rajdeep Mahanta said, "The number of government higher education institutions is not sufficient to meet the needs of our students. Moreover, after the implementation of NEP-2020, we have seen an increase in self-financed courses. These are deterrents for students who do not come from affluent families."
"The autonomous status granted to colleges and universities is also a hurdle, as it requires the institutions to generate their own revenue, and the burden is shifted to students through increased fees," he claimed.
While the BJP has promised to continue these schemes with more provisions if it retains power, the main opposition Congress has focused on creating job opportunities within the state.
Beyond the electoral promises, Barman stressed the need to prepare students to meet the requirements of the changing job market.
"Not just traditional colleges and universities, we need public institutions that prepare students for future courses and jobs. Like coaching for competitive examinations, which is dominated by the private sector," the assistant professor said.
"And along with educational facilities, employment opportunities are another factor that the government must work on to secure the future of our young generation," she added.
Manash Pratim said that programs promoting entrepreneurship for youth have helped them to be 'job providers' rather than 'job seekers'.
"Under programs like CMAAA, youth are getting seed money, and they are aspiring to open their own businesses rather than running after jobs," he said.
SFI secretary Rajdeep, however, maintained that the youth of the state need more opportunities to realize their potential and aim higher.
"Being gig workers cannot be the aspiration of our generation. While there is dignity in every work, we do need meaningful employment that does justice to our education," he said.
Elections for the 126-member Assembly will be held on April 9, and votes will be counted on May 4.