The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Assam for two days from December 20, with a packed programme involving infrastructure inauguration, cultural tributes, youth interaction and development projects, which the State government has described as significant, symbolic and substantial.

Key highlights of the Prime Minister’s visit

• The visit will begin with the unveiling of an 80-foot statue of Gopinath Bardoloi, Assam’s first Chief Minister and a Bharat Ratna awardee.
• The Prime Minister will inaugurate the newly constructed terminal of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, built at a cost of around ₹4,000 crore, strengthening air connectivity and regional infrastructure in the Northeast.

Education, culture and river-based tourism

• On the second day, the Prime Minister will interact with students under ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, an initiative aimed at reducing exam stress and engaging directly with youth.
• The interaction will take place while sailing on the Brahmaputra River aboard the cruise ship ‘Charaideo’, highlighting the government’s push for inland water tourism and the economic potential of rivers in Assam.
• The visit to the Swahid Smarak Kshetra, dedicated to 860 martyrs of the Assam Movement, reflects sensitivity towards regional history, identity and migration-related concerns.

Developmental push in Upper Assam

• The Prime Minister will travel to Namrup to perform the bhumi pujan of a ₹12,000-crore fertiliser plant, a major investment expected to boost agricultural productivity, employment and industrial growth in Assam.
• Such projects align with national goals of self-reliance in fertiliser production and balanced regional development.

Exam Hook – Prelims

Q. With reference to the Prime Minister’s visit to Assam, consider the following statements:

1. Gopinath Bardoloi was Assam’s first Chief Minister and a Bharat Ratna awardee.
2. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is being expanded to strengthen regional connectivity in the Northeast.
3. Pariksha Pe Charcha is an initiative focused on competitive examination coaching.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

One-line wrap:
The Prime Minister’s Assam visit blends symbolism, student engagement and big-ticket infrastructure, reinforcing the Northeast’s growing centrality in India’s development narrative.

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