Assam’s MMNM Scheme: Boosting Girls’ Education and Fighting Child Marriage

IN SHORT 
Scheme: Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina (MMNM)
Target: Around one million girl students
Initial Cost: ₹300 crore in the first year
Total Cost Over Five Years: ₹1,500 crore
Stipend Details:
Higher Secondary: ₹1,000/month
Degree Courses: ₹1,250/month
Postgraduate: ₹2,500/month
Objectives: Promote girls' education and prevent child marriage

The Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina (MMNM) initiative has been implemented by the Assam government as a crucial measure to promote girls’ education and counter child marriage. The goal of this program, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is to help female students in their studies from upper secondary to graduate school. With an initial cost of ₹300 crore in the first year and an estimated ₹1,500 crore over five years, the scheme is expected to reach nearly one million girl students.

Key Details of the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina (MMNM) Scheme

The goal of the MMNM program is to encourage female students to pursue further study and prevent early marriage by giving them monthly stipends. The scheme’s details consist of:

• Higher Secondary Stipends: Female students enrolled in the first and second years of higher secondary would earn ₹1,000 monthly.
• Stipend for Degree Courses: Students taking part in degree programs would get ₹1,250 a month.
• Postgraduate Stipends: ₹2,500 will be given to students each month who are pursuing postgraduate studies.

Objectives and Impact

The MMNM program aims to achieve two main goals:

• Encourage Girls’ Education: By providing financial support, the program hopes to reduce the financial strain on parents and encourage more girls to pursue higher education.
• Combat Child Marriage: The program aims to keep girls in school longer and delay marriage as part of Assam’s larger campaign against child marriage.

Chief Minister Sarma highlighted how the program may help families feel less stressed financially, allowing more girls to pursue their education without worrying about money.

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