A new statewide education initiative in Assam is set to reach households across the state with a clear objective: identify children who have slipped out of the education system and help bring them back to learning.
Samagra Shiksha, Assam has launched “Shiksha Yatra – From Challenges to Aspirations,” a comprehensive survey aimed at identifying Out-of-School Children (OoSC), school dropouts and students who have remained absent for extended periods.
The survey will be conducted through door-to-door visits in school catchment areas from August 20 to September 23, 2026. School Management Committees (SMCs), Education Volunteers, District Quality Managers and other field-level personnel will take part in the exercise.
The initiative comes amid concerns over the large number of children and teenagers who remain outside the formal education system. According to figures cited from the PLFS Survey 2025, an estimated 4,52,321 children between the ages of 14 and 18 in Assam are out of school.
IAS Officer Srinarayan Konwar’s Journey Highlights the Importance of the Initiative
Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has linked the objective of Shiksha Yatra with the inspiring life journey of IAS officer Srinarayan Konwar, who currently serves as the Commissioner and Secretary of Assam’s School Education and Higher Education Department.
Sharing Konwar’s story, the Education Minister highlighted how financial hardship forced him to leave school while studying in Class IX.
Born into a financially disadvantaged family in Morigaon district, Konwar lost his father at a young age and faced severe economic difficulties. To help support his family, he reportedly took up different forms of work, including fishing, selling snacks and working in other people’s agricultural fields.
His educational journey, however, took an important turn after he remained absent from school for around four months. According to Pegu, Konwar’s headmaster sent the school watchman to bring him back and encouraged him to resume his studies.
That intervention helped him return to education.
Konwar later faced another setback when he failed his Class XII examination on his first attempt. However, he continued his studies and eventually completed a Master’s degree in Political Science from Gauhati University.
Before preparing for the Union Public Service Commission examination, he worked as a part-time teacher at B. Barooah College and ADP College in Nagaon to earn money. He later travelled to Delhi for UPSC coaching and, in 2010, secured All India Rank 119, eventually joining the Indian Administrative Service.
Highlighting Konwar’s journey, Pegu said that the difficulties faced by a child today should never be seen as a measure of what that child can achieve in the future.
The story also reflects the larger objective behind Shiksha Yatra — ensuring that children who have left school are identified at the right time and given the opportunity, support and guidance needed to return to education.
Focus on Long-Absent Students and Transitional Dropouts
The statewide survey will pay particular attention to students who have remained absent from school for more than 45 days.
According to the information released, authorities will focus on identifying approximately 4,43,954 long-absent students and 68,410 transitional dropouts who left the education system after Classes V, VIII and X.
The survey is expected to provide education authorities with more accurate data and help them develop targeted measures to reconnect eligible children with schools and other educational opportunities.
More Than 2,800 Personnel to Conduct the Survey
A total of 2,862 survey personnel will be deployed across Assam for the exercise.
The team includes 2,733 District Quality Managers and Education Volunteers associated with residential and non-residential Special Training Centres (STCs), along with the participation of School Management Committees and other local education functionaries.
Survey personnel will be trained to use a dedicated Survey App for identifying children, verifying their details and ensuring accurate data entry.
Open Schooling Support Proposed
The Assam government has also proposed open schooling support for children who may not immediately return to the conventional school system.
According to the available figures, support has been proposed for 5,273 children during the 2025–26 financial year and 6,953 children during 2026–27.
The Shiksha Yatra programme is therefore expected to go beyond a data collection exercise. By identifying children who have been left behind and understanding the challenges that caused them to leave school, authorities aim to create pathways for their return to mainstream education.
The journey of Srinarayan Konwar stands as a powerful example of that possibility. A child who once left school because of poverty eventually went on to become an IAS officer — a reminder that timely intervention and encouragement can change the direction of a young person’s life.
Through “Shiksha Yatra – From Challenges to Aspirations,” Assam is seeking to ensure that children currently facing difficult circumstances are not permanently disconnected from education and are given another opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
