Assam government’s initiative for a one-time book allowance of ₹1,000 to all its employees

The Assam government has announced a significant initiative to promote a culture of reading by providing a one-time book allowance of ₹1,000 to all its employees. This grant will be disbursed with their November 2025 salary and will cost the state exchequer approximately ₹40 crore.

The government has mandated that all official gifts presented at government functions will be books to encourage intellectual enrichment. This initiative is part of a larger plan by the state government to celebrate 2025 as the “Year of Books.”

The state will also provide a ₹25,000 grant to 1,000 young writers, especially those contributing to creative, scientific, or academic writing. The cabinet further mandated that all official gifts in government functions be books, reinforcing a culture of knowledge.

A commemorative book on Bhupen Hazarika will be published and distributed among notable individuals and institutions. Additionally, financial support for book fairs has been approved: ₹5 lakh for district-level and ₹2.5 lakh for co-district headquarters fairs, to be coordinated by the Assam Prakashan Parishad. These initiatives aim to create a vibrant literary ecosystem and elevate Assam’s cultural capital.