Assam to make Assamese mandatory till Class 10

Guwahati: Assamese will be made a mandatory subject in all schools in Assam till Class 10, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

A legislation will be passed in this regard in the assembly in August. But if someone is not interested in taking up Assamese as a subject, he or she can opt Bodo or Bengali.

"Students in Barak Valley can opt for Bengali instead of Assamese. The rest of the students must choose Assamese or Bodo as a mandatory subject," said the minister.

He said the legislation will make the subject mandatory in all schools including those under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

The minister said similar legislation was in force in Kerala and Karnataka.