Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, accompanied by minister of state for planning Himanta Biswa Sarma, launches the Gyan Jyoti programme on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Jan. 25: The city will play host to 7,500 students from different parts of Assam each year, courtesy a scheme of the state government aimed at acquainting them with the academic, cultural and religious institutions.

The entire cost for the exposure trips during summer and winter vacations will be borne by the state government, chief minister Tarun Gogoi announced in Guwahati today. He said during the exposure trips, the students would be taken to educational institutions like the Cotton College, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Gauhati University. Academicians from these centres of excellence will give career tips to the students, the chief minister added.

Under the new scheme called Gyan Jyoti, students from Class VIII to Class X from 10 high schools from each district of the state will be selected for the exposure trips during every summer and winter vacations.

Apart from the educational institutions, the students will also be taken to other places of interest like the planetarium, Regional Science Centre, zoo, museum, Sankardev Kalakshetra and Kamakhya temple.

“This exposure trips will help the students from rural areas in their career planning and will also inculcate competitiveness among them,” Gogoi said. He said the state government would bear the entire expenses including the transportation cost.

Minister of state for planning and development Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government would incur an expenditure of Rs 1,200 for each student for the exposure trips, which would be of two days’ duration. The state government has already earmarked Rs 1 crore in the budget for the purpose, he added.

During the students’ stay in the city, quiz competition, debating competition and cultural events will be organised. Each school will have to select minimum of two participants for each of the events — quiz, debate and cultural competitions.

Gogoi said during the trip to the IIT, director of the institute would interact with the students from rural schools and deliver a talk on how to shape their career and choose the right profession. The principal of Cotton College has also evinced keen interest in arranging similar interaction programme for these students, he added.

“For a student of Guwahati, this exposure trip may not sound anything big. But for students of rural schools, such trips can really inspire and widen their knowledge base. Though they read in their textbooks about these places of interest, most of them hardly get an opportunity to visit these,” the chief minister said.

Deputy commissioners have been asked to identify 10 schools located in rural areas in each district, of which five schools are to be selected during summer vacations and five schools during winter vacations.

Sarma said the exposure trips would be jointly organised by the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and the planning and development department. The scheme will continue for 15 years, he added.