Assam's council of ministers used a Monday sitting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to reshape the state's flagship youth sports drive and clear a fresh set of benefits for government staff, former soldiers and students, while also opening a new revenue stream from polluting industries.
Khel Maharan returns in a new shape
The cabinet gave the go-ahead for the third edition of Khel Maharan, this time restructured into two separate tracks. The tournament opens on November 7 and will run under two banners: Shoishab Krida Samaroh, reserved for athletes below the age of 12, and the main Khel Maharan event for competitors older than 12.
A hunt for 300 young talents
Shoishab Krida Samaroh is designed as a scouting exercise as much as a competition. Officials plan to shortlist 300 promising young players through it and then place them on a structured coaching track, giving them access to facilities meant to sharpen their skills over time. Both tracks together will span eight sporting disciplines: athletics, yogasana, chess, boxing, aquathlon, football, volleyball and swimming.
Quicker promotions inside the Secretariat
Away from the sports arena, the cabinet eased the promotion path for Computer Operators looking to move up to the post of Junior Administrative Assistant within the Assam Secretariat. The minimum qualifying service for that jump has been cut from four years to three. Sarma told reporters the change is meant to push promotions through faster and let eligible staff reach the next rung in their careers sooner than before.
More room for ex-servicemen in state jobs
Former military personnel hoping to join state government service also got relief. The cabinet raised the upper age ceiling for ex-servicemen applying to Grade III and Grade IV posts from 42 years to 45 years, widening the window during which they can compete for these positions.
Free bicycles for Class IX students
For the 2025-26 academic session, the cabinet cleared Rs 109.38 crore to hand out free bicycles to students studying in Class IX, a scheme aimed at easing their daily commute to school.
A green cess on polluting sectors
The cabinet also signed off on the broad framework of the Assam Green Cess Policy, 2026, which will impose a cess on sectors identified as environmentally sensitive. Stone-crushing units, brick kilns and imported timber are among the sectors named for the levy, though the policy covers other identified sectors as well.
