Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will introduce 55 new textbooks for classes 1 to 8 from the next academic year, officials said Friday.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. State School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond and senior officers attended the meeting.
The meeting was focused on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the state’s preparedness for introducing new textbooks aligned with the national curriculum framework.
The 55 new textbooks have been translated and contextualised from NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) materials to reflect Odisha’s local needs, culture, and heritage, officials said.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has completed the translation and contextualisation of the new textbooks. To ensure smooth rollout, 1,000 master resource persons have been trained, they said.
These resource persons will subsequently train over 1.66 lakh primary teachers, they added.
Pradhan also reviewed the progress of curriculum development and capacity building of these resource persons across districts.
He advised district officials to actively engage students and parents to create awareness and enthusiasm about the new textbooks.
Pradhan stressed promoting mother-tongue-based education at least up to class 5, strengthening the PM-Poshan scheme and implementation of 10 bagless school days per year for students of classes 6 to 10.
Gond said Odisha has introduced three new subjects — Art Education, Physical Education & Well-being, and Vocational Education– to promote the holistic development of students.
He emphasised that the reforms go beyond curriculum change and represent a collective commitment towards shaping the future of children and the progress of Odisha.