NEP progressive, states can modify it, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
The Union education minister announced that CBSE and NCERT have decided to come up with books and learning materials in all the 22 scheduled languages of the country.
Published: 18th August 2023 08:26 AM | Last Updated: 18th August 2023 08:26 AM | A+A A-
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BHUBANESWAR: At a time when the Karnataka government has announced to discontinue implementation of National Education Policy (NEP), Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman asserted it is a progressive policy that provides ample scope to states to adapt to it as per their requirements.
Unveiling two primers in Kuwi and Desia tribal languages developed by NCERT and Central University of Odisha (CUO) here on Thursday, Sitharaman said NEP-2020 is a result of different people putting their minds together and extensive consultations. “NEP is a flexible policy. It is not something that the Centre decides and imposes on all states. It is a broad framework and the states are left to adapt it according to their requirements,” Sitharaman said.
“When one learns, speaks and thinks in one’s mother tongue, there’s a clarity of thought which can be used later. That’s why learning in the mother tongue is important. The Education Ministry’s step to introduce primers in local languages and dialects is a generational one and will also further enrich PM Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’”, she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said NCERT and CUO should provide the two primers to as many schools in the undivided Koraput district and also conduct orientation programmes for teachers. He said the books will also be soon available online.
The Union education minister announced that CBSE and NCERT have decided to come up with books and learning materials in all the 22 scheduled languages of the country. He urged the state government’s SCERT to work in close coordination with NCERT to create such primers in other tribal languages.
The two primers were created following a directive of Pradhan. The council had constituted a committee to frame the language materials for the Kuwi and Desia-speaking students of the Kandha community of Koraput, Gajapati, Malkangiri and Kandhamal districts of the state.
A special cover on the two tribal languages, created by Department of Posts, CUO and NCERT, was also released on the occasion. The linguistics and academicians who worked on the primer were felicitated. Director of NCERT Dinesh Prasad Saklani was present on the occasion.
What Nirmala said
NEP is a flexible policy. It is not something that the Centre decides and imposes on all states
When one learns, speaks and thinks in one’s mother tongue, there’s a clarity of thought which can be used later
The Education Ministry’s step to introduce primers in local languages and dialects is a generational one
