Guwahati: A three-day National Conclave on “Empowerment, Skilling, Education, Digital Interventions and Welfare Schemes for Tea Garden Communities” began at the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship in Lalmati, Guwahati, on Monday.
The conclave is being organised by the Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi, in collaboration with the OKD Institute of Social Change and Development (OKDISCD), Guwahati. It will continue until October 7.
The inaugural session brought together academicians, researchers, government officials, skill-development practitioners and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for the educational, socio-economic and digital development of Assam’s tea garden communities.
Hanif Noorani, ACS and Mission Director of the Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM), and Saswati Choudhury, Director of OKDISCD, Guwahati, attended the session as Guests of Honour. Other dignitaries present included Quazi Ferdoushi Islam, Project Coordinator of the ICSSR project; Rajdeep Singha, Associate Professor at OKDISCD; and Nivedita Goswami, Project Director of the ICSSR project.
The conclave is linked to the ICSSR-sponsored research project titled “Empowerment of Tea Tribes of Assam through Digital and Non-Digital Skill Development Programmes”. The Department of Educational Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, has been awarded the project.
The project seeks to examine how digital literacy, non-digital skills, education and livelihood-based interventions can support the socio-economic development of tea garden communities in Assam.
The first day featured scholars and practitioners, including Kaushal Kishore, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Project Director, ICSSR; Ahrar Hussain, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Project Director, ICSSR; Sameer Babu M., Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Project Director, ICSSR Project; Zeba Tabassum, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Project Director, ICSSR Project; Pinku Choudhury, Skill Project Manager, ASDM, Government of Assam; Dhiraj Singha, IIT Guwahati; Keshabananda Haloi, Kanoi Commerce College, Dibrugarh; and Jyotirmoy Hazarika, Academician and Career Counselor.
The sessions focused on skill development, education, digital literacy, access to government welfare schemes, employability, livelihood diversification and the use of technology for social and economic development.
Participants said empowering tea garden communities requires an approach beyond conventional welfare measures. They identified quality education, market-oriented skill training, digital services, career counselling and awareness of government schemes as important areas for sustainable community development.
Government representatives, researchers, academics and field-level practitioners shared their experiences and discussed possible interventions. The sessions also examined ways to strengthen links between research findings and policy implementation so that development programmes can better respond to the needs and aspirations of tea garden communities.
The conclave also seeks to promote dialogue between academic institutions and government agencies working in education, skill development and community welfare. Representatives from Jamia Millia Islamia, ASDM, OKDISCD, IIT Guwahati and other academic and professional institutions are taking part in the discussions.
The three-day National Conclave, being held from October 5 to 7, 2026, is expected to generate practical inputs and strengthen collaboration on the educational, digital, skill-based and socio-economic development of tea garden communities in Assam.
The organisers said the discussions could help bridge gaps between research, policy and grassroots implementation and support more inclusive and sustainable development strategies for tea garden communities across the state.