GUWAHATI: The Class 10 board examinations began across Assam on February 11, with over 4 lakh students appearing in 2026. Among them are eight students from Mualdam, a remote village in Dima Hasao district, who have to trek fifteen kilometres through hilly terrain to appear for their examinations, marking the first time their school has sent a batch for the HSLC exam.
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The students are from Haite Memorial Friendship School (HMFS) in Mualdam village. With no motorable road connecting the village to the examination centre at Public English High School in Harangajao, the students have to walk nearly five to six hours along narrow forest trails and uneven slopes to reach the venue.
This year is the first time since the school’s establishment in 2017 that it has a Class 10 batch appearing for the board examinations.
Principal William Ngamlai, who founded the school at the age of 25, said the moment is significant for the entire village.
“I was 25 years old when I started this school because most villagers had no education,” Ngamlai told GPlus. “In 2019, we had 52 students from Nursery to Class 3. Today, we have 243 students from Nursery to Class 10. This is our maiden year attempting the Class 10 examination. We are quite nervous,” he further added.
He said the distance to the examination centre poses a major challenge.
“The centre is fifteen kilometres away and accessible only by trekking through hilly terrain. Along with the students, I walk. A local volunteer and a parent also accompany us,” he said.
To reduce daily travel strain, the students and their principal are staying in a rented house near the examination centre for the duration of the exams.
“We are currently staying at a nearby rented house till February 26. It is closer to the centre. After the exams end on February 27, we will trek back to our village,” Ngamlai said.
Speaking to GPlus, one of the students said, “It takes 5 to 6 hours to reach Harangajao and we have to trek through hills and cross multiple bridges. This is the first time my school is appearing for the HSLC exam and we are the first batch.”
Mualdam village faces severe infrastructural challenges. The nearest healthcare centre is five hours away. During monsoon, dirt tracks become muddy and nearly impassable. In summer, the village’s only pond dries up, creating water scarcity. Electricity supply is unreliable and communication networks are limited.
The village is home to members of the Biate tribe, whose language has been classified as endangered by UNESCO.
For years, students seeking education beyond the primary level had to leave the village or discontinue their studies due to lack of access. The local school, now supported by an NGO named Sunbird Trust was established to address this gap at a time when no private schools existed in the area and government schools struggled with low attendance and limited resources.
The journey to the examination centre has become a collective effort, with parents walking alongside their children and volunteers providing support. Many parents in the village did not have the opportunity to complete formal schooling.
School authorities said the eight students, four boys and four girls, are aware of the responsibility of being the first batch and are determined to set a benchmark for future classes.