Boko: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday virtually laid the foundation stone for the Ekalavya Adarsh Residential School in Nagopara, Boko, Kamrup district, as part of a larger initiative by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the National Education Society for Tribal Students.
The virtual ceremony, held from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, saw Modi inaugurate 40 Ekalavya Model Residential Schools and lay the foundation for 25 others across the country.
The Boko event was attended by Dr. Ronoj Pegu, Minister of Education and Tribal Affairs (Plains); Chandramohan Patowari, Minister of Environment and Forests; Guwahati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi; Boko MLA Nandita Das; and Chief Executive Member of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), Tankeshwar Rabha, among others.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Dr. Ronoj Pegu thanked the Prime Minister for initiating the project, noting that the Ekalavya Adarsh Residential School will offer free education, sports training, and residential facilities for 480 students. He urged all citizens to contribute towards improving the state’s education system.
Kamrup district’s Parent Minister Chandramohan Patowari expressed pride in the foundation stone being laid in the tribal area of Boko. He said the school would offer both educational and skill development opportunities to students in the region.
The event also included a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, with a lantern lighting and wreath-laying ceremony.
In a media interaction, Boko MLA Nandita Das emphasized the importance of the school for tribal children in remote hilly areas like Lampi and Gohalkona along the Assam-Meghalaya border, where access to higher education remains a challenge. She also called on the government to establish more high and higher secondary schools in these regions.
RHAC Chief Executive Member Tankeshwar Rabha praised the Prime Minister for the initiative, stating that the school would significantly benefit the tribal communities in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area. He added that two residential schools will be set up in the RHAC region, contributing to the area’s educational development.
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