150-Year Legacy at Risk? Christian Institutions Oppose Assam’s Fee Regulation Move

The Assam Christian Forums (ACF) on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the Assam Cabinet’s approval of the Assam Private Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Amendment Bill, 2025, warning that the legislation could erode constitutional protections granted to minority-run institutions.

The Bill, which the government tabled in the Assembly today, seeks to empower the state to regulate fee structures and monitor the financial operations of private educational institutions. Minority-run schools, previously exempt from such oversight, would also fall under this regulatory framework if the amendment is passed.

According to ACF, the move marks a significant departure from the longstanding autonomy enjoyed by Christian missionary schools in Assam. “We are pained and feel intimidated,” said ACF Chairman Archbishop John Moolachira, arguing that the Bill could undermine the ability of minority institutions to function independently. “These schools are not businesses; they are nation builders, preserving identity, language, and culture through education.”

Christian organisations fear the proposed law may affect the sustainability of missionary-run schools, particularly those serving remote and tribal communities. They contend that strict government control over fees could limit their ability to pay staff, maintain infrastructure, and continue offering scholarships to underprivileged students. ACF leaders also allege that the new Bill follows a pattern of increasing scrutiny after the passage of the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024, which they claim disproportionately affected Christian communities.

The Forum insists that the amendment threatens protections guaranteed under Article 30(1) of the Constitution, which grants minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

Missionary institutions, some of which date back more than a century, have played a pivotal role in spreading formal education in Assam. ACF leaders pointed out that missionary schools were instrumental in raising literacy rates and uplifting marginalised communities, long before modern state systems expanded across the region. “From pre-Independence days, missionaries planted seeds of knowledge that shaped Assam’s education landscape,” said Rev. Bernard K. Marak, Vice Chairman of ACF and General Secretary of the Assam Baptist Convention. “To now restrict their functioning feels like forgetting that history.”

The Forum has urged the Assam government to reconsider the amendment, calling for consultations with minority stakeholders and safeguards to protect institutional autonomy.

ACF also appealed to civil society and political leaders to support the rights of minority educational institutions, arguing that preserving diversity in Assam’s school ecosystem is essential for social harmony.

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