A Study on Higher Education in Assam

Socio-economic development of a country depends on education, which shapes the human resources of a country.Although the present education system of India was born during the British period, India has had education centres since ancient times.In the Middle Age, great educational centres like Takshasila, Nalanda and Bikramsila are some of the higher education centres of the Sanskrit medium.Cotton College, the first institution of Higher Education in Assam and also North east India, was established by the British government in 1901.The Higher Education Department of the government of Assam has been playing an important role in the expansion and quality development of the Higher Education sector through the universities and colleges.The state Government has provided adequate funds for infrastructure development of these educational institutions as well as establishing new universities and colleges, and introducing additional streams to existing colleges to enhance access to Higher Education.The study attempts to know the present status of higher education in Assam, as well as to know the recent initiatives undertaken by the Government of Assam for development of higher education in the state.It is a descriptive method based on secondary data collected from Government publications, websites, etc.