Students who lost their educational documents in Assam’s recent floods can now obtain duplicate copies without paying any charges. The Assam State School Education Board has launched the temporary relief measure for eligible students in four affected districts, allowing online applications and replacing the police complaint requirement with a self-declaration to speed up the process. (Representational image)

The Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) has announced a major relief measure for students who lost their educational documents in the recent floods, allowing them to obtain duplicate copies of key academic records without paying any fee.The initiative covers important documents such as pass certificates, marksheets, admit cards and registration cards, ensuring that students do not face academic setbacks because of a natural disaster that has already disrupted their lives.

Relief announced by the state government takes formal shape

The decision follows Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement that students from flood-affected districts should not have to bear the cost of replacing documents destroyed in the calamity.According to the board, the benefit will be available to students from Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat, districts that witnessed extensive flooding and damage earlier this year. The measure is aimed at helping students recover essential academic records needed for admissions, competitive examinations and employment.

Separate online portals notified for Class 10 and Class 12 students

In a notification issued on July 29, ASSEB detailed the application process for obtaining duplicate documents. Students seeking duplicate High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC), Assam High Madrassa (AHM) and other Class 10 records can submit their applications through the SEBA online services portal. Those studying in the Higher Secondary (HS) stream or requiring Class 12 documents will have to apply through the official ASSEB Higher Secondary portal. The board has advised students to complete the application process online through the respective portals.

Board eases application process by waiving police complaint requirement

To make the process simpler for flood-affected families, ASSEB has also removed the requirement of submitting a police complaint while applying for duplicate documents.Instead, students will only need to upload a self-declaration confirming that their original certificates were lost or damaged in the recent floods. The relaxation is expected to reduce paperwork and help applicants obtain replacement documents more quickly.

Temporary measure aims to protect students from academic disruption

This decision from the board clearly states that the waiver of fees is specifically provided to the students affected by the flood crisis and is not a permanent policy, but rather a temporary one so that the students facing hardships due to the crisis are taken care of.It has to be noted that academic papers are proof of qualification and play an important role in the career of a student from the admission stage in higher institutions to recruitment and application for scholarships. The problem of financial constraints as well as the difficulty in completing this process because of the loss of academic papers can thus be overcome. This step is a sign of bringing back normalcy to the lives of the affected students.