The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, launched various projects of the Union Ministry of Education from Jayadev Bhawan, Bhubaneswar today (November 11, 2022). These include engineering books of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in Odia language; glossary of the technical terms in Odia language, developed by Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT); and e-KUMBH (Knowledge Unleashed in Multiple Bharatiya Languages) portal.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that she was happy to launch these important initiatives of the Union Ministry of Education. These are commendable steps in the direction of making education accessible to all. It has been observed that many students face difficulty in understanding technical education in English. That is why under the National Education Policy-2020, the government has taken steps to provide technical education in the regional languages.
The President said that there is no doubt that mother tongue helps intellectual development in students. She expressed confidence that learning in mother tongue would develop creative thinking and analytical skills among students and it would also provide equal opportunities to urban and rural students. She noted that earlier technical education in regional languages used to face hurdles due to non-availability of textbooks in vernacular languages. She appreciated AICTE for its efforts in removing this hurdle.
The President said that education is a tool for empowerment. We must ensure that each and every child in our country has access to education at every level. We have to do our best to make the education available to all without any discrimination. Language should be an enabling factor not a hindrance for educating the students. The introduction of learning in regional and local languages would go a long way towards building a well-educated, aware and vibrant society.
The President said that Odia is an ancient and rich language. It has a distinct literary tradition and rich vocabulary. Therefore, there would be no difficulty in getting technical education in Odia language. She said that all Indian languages have more or less the same potential. She was happy to note that under the National Education Policy-2020, equal importance is being given to all Indian languages. She said that it has ushered in a new era in the field of Indian languages.
Earlier in the day, the President visited Tapoban High School. After this, she paid a visit to her alma mater Government Girls High School Unit-II and Kuntala Kumari Sabat Adivasi Girls Hostel Unit-II where she had stayed during her School time. The President interacted with students, teachers, alumni and inmates of the hostel.
