Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday released Class XI science reference books prepared in the Odia language for students of higher secondary schools in Odisha. 

The books were unveiled at Lok Seva Bhavan and have been developed by the School and Mass Education Department.

Four core science subjects covered

The newly released reference books cover Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and are aimed at helping Class XI science students study complex subjects in their mother tongue.

Boost to Odia medium education

As such reference books were previously unavailable in Odia, the state government has decided to supply 10 to 20 copies of each book to every higher secondary school. These books will be stocked in school libraries, enabling students to access them easily.

Books to be available in district headquarters bookstores; Govt plans similar initiative for Class XII

The Institute of Odia Studies & Research (IOSR) will take steps to ensure that the books are also available at bookstores in all district headquarters. According to officials, the initiative will benefit nearly 1.2 lakh students studying in around 700 higher secondary schools across the state.

The state government has also announced plans to prepare similar science reference books in Odia for Class XII students in the next phase. This initiative is seen as a major step towards making reference material available in Odia from primary education to higher technical education, strengthening mother-tongue-based learning.

Dignitaries present

Several senior leaders and officials were present at the book release event, including Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Law and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Commerce and Transport, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, Industries and Skill Development Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, and Higher Education, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner D.K. Singh, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shashwat Mishra, and School and Mass Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Thirumala Nayak were also in attendance.

The initiative marks a significant milestone in promoting Odia as a medium of instruction and reference for science education in the state.