A special Assembly session will be convened in Jharkhand in May only for the education sector.

Chief minister Hemant Soren, while reviewing the department of higher, technical education and skill development on Wednesday in Ranchi, directed the department to complete all legal and technical formalities for filling up vacancies so that it can be passed during the special Assembly session which will be convened specially for the betterment of education in the state.

Sources in the chief minister’s office revealed that it would be held before the monsoon session.

“It would be held in May and focus on filling up vacancies in the higher educational sector and also clearance of Act for setting up Azim Premji University. An ordinance is likely to be tabled before the Assembly wherein university would be made an unit. As of now, it was the government department which was taken as a unit. With university being taken as a unit the recruitment roster would make it possible for cadre based posts ensuring reservation as per norms. Even the Azim Premji University Act is also ready and would be tabled during the special assembly session,” said sources.

Azim Premji Foundation CEO Anurag Behar had met Soren in December last year with a proposal to open a university in Jharkhand.

During the meeting Anurag Behar had reiterated the foundation’s resolve to play an active role in the development of education, quality education and improving the academic environment in the state. He had informed that about Rs 1,200 to 1,400 crore would be spent on setting up the university which will provide job-oriented and quality education. The campus of the university will be spread over an area of 150 acres.

“The chief minister has said that the state government would resolve the bottlenecks in filling up vacancies by convening a special session of the Assembly for the betterment of education in the state. The government's priority is to resolve the bottlenecks related to university, school education, higher and technical education and medical college. Before convening the special Assembly session, the officers of the concerned department should prepare all the necessary procedures like appointment roster, manual and Act,” said a release issued by chief minister’s secretariat.

“The chief minister also directed for regular inspection of higher technical educational institutions including polytechnic colleges in the state and speed up the process of recruitment and promotion to vacant posts within a specific time frame,” the release said.

Sources in the department of higher education revealed that over 3,000 vacancies are likely to be filled in the next few months in various universities, colleges and polytechnics.

Soren also directed for implementation of Guruji Student Credit Card scheme from this academic session (July). The scheme is loosely based on the similar project taken up by Bengal government in June last year.

Under the scheme, the government will help the student to get a soft loan of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies with the help of a credit card.