Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised the alarm over what he describes as a “demographic crisis” unfolding across the state. Citing declining birth rates and shrinking student populations, Sarma warned that several educational institutions in Assam may soon struggle to find enough students to stay open. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the visible demographic transformation in Assam’s education sector. “Assam is facing a unique challenge. Due to demographic changes and population decline, fewer students from our community are enrolling in universities,” Sarma wrote. “Our agenda for 2026–2031 is to reimagine educational opportunities in Assam.” According to data available on the state government’s Samar portal, colleges in rural Assam are experiencing a sharp fall in enrolment. While some students have shifted to urban institutions, the Chief Minister said the trend remains weak and unsustainable. “Even that is not very encouraging,” he noted.
Sarma specifically named districts like Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Lakhimpur, warning that within just five years, these areas could witness an almost complete absence of local students. “In five years, we might not find students at all,” he said grimly. He explained that the root of this crisis lies in a broader demographic trend—one that has seen families shift from having multiple children to just one. “If you do a survey around Dibrugarh University, you’ll find almost every household has just one child,” he said. “Earlier, hospitals like AMCH in Dibrugarh used to be packed with expectant mothers. Now even the biggest hospitals have empty maternity wards.” The CM further pointed out that in towns like Sivasagar, the number of women of childbearing age has fallen sharply. “In Sivasagar, we don’t have enough mothers now to give birth,” he said. “At Guwahati Medical College, if you exclude patients from districts like Barpeta and Dhubri, the number of locals is alarmingly low.”
As enrolment dwindles, Sarma said that institutions such as Dibrugarh University may soon need to attract students from outside Assam, or from regions like the riverine ‘char’ areas, to fill their new facilities—including a recently built 500-bed hostel. This situation, he cautioned, has serious long-term consequences. “We are running out of young manpower,” the CM warned. “Our educational institutes must remain relevant and meaningful. Reinvention is the only way forward.”