Bhubaneswar: Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, and Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched Kuwi and Desia books at Bhubaneswar. The event also witnessed the special cover release on behalf of the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India. This marks a collaborative effort with the Central University of Odisha, Koraput, the Department of Posts, and NCERT.
While addressing the gathering at the launch ceremony, Shri Pradhan mentioned that there are over 62 tribes covering 23% of the total population of Odisha, so, it becomes necessary to teach students with the help of pictures, stories, and songs based on their local nature and culture to improve their speaking skill, learning outcome, and cognitive development, he added. In this regard, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), for the first time, in collaboration with the Central University of Odisha, has prepared two invaluable books: the “Kuwi Primer” and “Desia Primer”, for those children, who are speaking Kuwi and Desia tribal languages in the undivided Koraput district of Odisha, he informed. He said that these two primers will not only shape a strong educational foundation for those children but also preserve and foster the cultural, and linguistic heritage and identity of the tribal community of Odisha.
Speaking on the occasion Smt Nirmala Sitharaman said that the National Education Policy 2020 is very progressive. It is a result of different people putting their minds together & extensive consultations. NEP is a flexible policy. It is not something that the Centre decides and imposes on all the states. It is a broad framework and the states are left to adapt it according to their requirements, she explained. Smt Sitharaman further said that when one learns, speaks & 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 and Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan are making all-out efforts for the Education of tribal children, she said. The step to introduce primers in local languages and dialects is a generational one & will also further enrich Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’, she added.
The Ministers attended a series of events today under the nationwide “Meri Maati Mera Desh” campaign, on the call of the Prime Minister of the country, to pay homage to the heroes who sacrificed for the country. The series of events included Sand Art on “Meri Maati Mera Desh” by Padmashri Awardee Sand Artist Shri Sudarshan Patnaik at Puri Beach, ‘Dedication of Shilaphalakam’ and ‘Vasudha Vandan’ initiative of Meri Maati Mera Desh; the Panch Pran pledge.
The Ministers interacted with the artisans of Raghurajpur, a heritage crafts village in Puri district, Odisha. During the interaction, the Finance Minister highlighted the benefits of the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ Scheme, which was announced in the Independence Day 2023 speech by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.