GUWAHATI: Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu addressed significant challenges in the state’s online admission process for the 2025–26 academic year during a high-level meeting on May 14 at Janata Bhawan. Despite the Education Department’s efforts to digitize operations, practical obstacles continue to impede progress, raising concerns about implementing technology reforms without sufficient groundwork.
The meeting convened vice-chancellors, principals, and senior officials from Higher Education to evaluate the SAMARTH portal—an initiative aimed at streamlining admissions and other academic functions. While this platform has been described as revolutionary, it has faced considerable criticism for technical issues and inadequate staff training.
Parents expressing their frustrations highlighted the system’s shortcomings. One parent told GPlus, “They promised ease, but we still run from office to office. The system often doesn’t work, and staff are unsure how to use it.” Another remarked, “It’s a good idea, but poor training has made it worse. For daily wage earners like us, time lost means income lost.”
Pegu defended the decision to develop SAMARTH in-house, calling it essential for transparency and efficiency. He introduced plans for a college-level system similar to the ‘Shiksha Setu’ app to monitor student attendance and performance. However, faculty members raised concerns about increasing workloads without addressing fundamental academic issues.
In addition, Pegu pointed out a decline in pass rates in higher education and called for immediate reflection on the situation. Higher Education Secretary Narayan Konwar and Director Pomi Baruah were also in attendance. Despite the ambitious digital strategy, many believe that a significant gap remains between vision and reality within Assam’s education system.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/assam/assams-online-admission-woes-persist-despite-digital-push-education-minister-takes-stock
Category: Assam
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Publish Date: 2025-05-14 19:46:00
