Assam govt to merge two directorates

Assam government will merge the Directorate of Historical and Antiquarian Studies with the Directorate of Museum, officials said.

"The decision has been taken to bring in semblance with the mandate of both the Directorates so that the works of preservation, display, research and communication for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment of the cultural objects of this state can simulated and brought under single umbrella," an official release said yesterday.

In a meeting with the Department of Higher Education, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked the Education Minister to hold parleys with the Department of Culture and draw a blue-print and fix modalities to take the merger to its logical conclusion, it added.

Sonowal maintained that the merger will help to direct both the Directorates to a systematic and comprehensive method of research and collection of rare and old manuscripts along with others.

The meeting also decided to take the offices of the Chief Minister and Education Minister closer to college teachers and as a part of it, Sonowal and Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya will hold interactive meetings with 10,000 teachers across the state, the statement said.

"The interactive sessions have been aimed at taking into cognizance the issues of the college teachers and enable them to render their duties and bring in more improvement in the overall landscape of education in the state," it added.

In another decision, the state government announced to give bicycles to all the girl students for securing first division in HSLC Examinations.

To stimulate the employability of engineering and commerce graduates, 10 centres of excellence will be set up where industry bodies will be imparting training to the students as a part of Entrepreneurial Resource Programme.