ABSU Raises Concern Over Poor Gunotsav Results in Bodoland Region

The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has expressed deep concern over the poor performance of districts under the Sixth Schedule in the recently declared Gunotsav 2025 results. The districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)—namely Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur, and Udalguri—along with Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, ranked at the bottom of the state’s performance list.

Addressing a press conference at Bodofa House in Kokrajhar on Saturday, ABSU President Dipen Boro described the results as alarming and attributed the decline to several longstanding issues. He cited the acute shortage of teachers, especially in Lower Primary (LP) and Upper Primary (UP) schools, the lack of specialized Mathematics and Science educators, and the absence of key administrative officials such as IS and BEEO in districts like Udalguri, Baksa, and Kokrajhar.

Boro urged the government to implement Clause 6.3 of the BTR Peace Accord, which outlines key measures for strengthening education in the region. He emphasized the urgent need for systemic interventions to improve the educational scenario.

In response to the results, ABSU has planned a review and fact-finding meeting on April 10 at Bodoland University. The session will bring together over 500 teachers from across the four core BTR districts to deliberate on practical strategies to improve learning outcomes.

Boro also reiterated ABSU’s long-standing demand for the provincialisation of Bodo-medium and other regional schools in BTR and throughout Assam, as per the commitments made in the Bodo Peace Accord of 2020.

"The vacant posts of District Elementary Education Officers (DEEOs) and Inspectors of Schools have remained unfilled for more than a year and a half in key districts, further worsening the crisis," Boro stated. He also pointed to issues such as staff shortages, poor attendance, lack of resources, and substandard teaching quality as major factors behind the region's weak performance.

Despite the challenges, Boro reaffirmed ABSU’s commitment to uplifting the standard of education and ensuring that students in the Bodo community receive the support they need to succeed. He expressed hope that the region's performance in future Gunotsav exercises would improve significantly.

In a separate note of appreciation, ABSU extended gratitude to the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India for renaming the road from Lala Lajpat Rai Marg to Kailash Colony U-Turn in Delhi as Bodofa UN Brahma Marg, along with the installation of a statue to honor the Bodo leader. The union also thanked Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma for declaring the cremation ground of Bodofa at Thulungapuri as a state Samadhi, and for announcing that May 1, 2025, the death anniversary of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma, will be observed with state honors.