JHARSUGUDA: In a bid to promote linguistic and literary skills among students in western Odisha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched two bilingual books ‘Sambalpuri Bhasa Sikhya’ and ‘Pathan Parban’ here on Tuesday.
The books have been developed by the Jharsuguda administration in collaboration with the district education wing.
Pradhan praised the initiative, calling it a significant step under the National Education Policy (NEP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He described the books as a ‘new bridge’ connecting Sambalpuri and Odia languages, symbolising cultural integration between western Odisha and the rest of the state.
“Sambalpuri Bhasa Sikhya allows students to learn Odia alphabets, vocabulary and pronunciation in their native Sambalpuri-Koshali dialect, enhancing fluency in both written and spoken forms,” he said.
The union minister also highlighted the significance of ‘Pathan Parban’, a reading initiative launched in Jharsuguda between November 18, 2024 and January 26, 2025. As part of the programme, over 56,000 students from Classes I to XII participated in reading activities and wrote summaries in Odia, Hindi and English. The best among the contributions by students have been compiled and published as a book.
Citing the example of Priti Biswal, a farmer’s daughter from Lakhanpur who impressed Prime Minister Modi during the ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme, Pradhan said education in regional language boosts confidence of students and academic outcomes. “Since the implementation of the NEP, learning outcomes across the country, including Jharsuguda, have improved significantly,” he said.
He urged teachers, parents and school management committees to support the use of mother tongue in education, drawing inspiration from legendary writers like Gangadhar Meher and Fakir Mohan Senapati.
The event was also attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, MP Pradip Purohit and MLA Tankadhar Tripathy.