In a major breakthrough, the Assam government on Saturday ordered to eliminate the Arabic term 'Maktab' from the government schools.

Maktab means school in Arabic. The space in which the projecttakes place is believed to have been used as a school during the Mughal era,supporting learning within the palace complex.

State Education and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturdaysaid that a total of 63 schools in Assam have been using the Arabic term 'Maktab'.Sarma ordered the school authorities to take it down.

Earlier, the Assam government's decision to shut down all State-run madrasas (Muslim theological schools) and tols (ashrams teaching Sanskrit and religious scriptures) and convert them into high schools and higher secondary schools had come in for sharp criticism.

The decision may not go down well with the minority and Muslimtheological organisations.

During the press conference, Sarma tabled a multi-croreproject for the redevelopment of temple-devalayas in the state.