Assamese language will be made a mandatory subject in all schools in Assam till Class 10, state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.
He, however, added that students in tribal areas and Barak valley, who do not want to study Assamese, will be given a choice to opt for Bodo and Bengali respectively.
“Those who do not want to have these subjects, will have a choice between Bodo or Bengali languages. Bodo will be for tribal areas and Bengali for Barak Valley,” he said.
A legislation will be passed in this regard in the assembly in August.
“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.