Bhubaneswar: Electronics and IT minister of Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera expressed deep concern over the Odia language’s exclusion from an online portal run by the Union education ministry. He appealed to the Centre to reconsider this “unjust” decision.
The education ministry had declared that study material will be uploaded on the Swayam portal in 10 languages, including Odia, to ensure that there is no communication barrier for learning.
The minister, however, pointed out that Odia has been excluded during study material translation by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The ministry’s call to drop Odia on AICTE’s recommendation is “unfortunate and unjust”, Behera said via a statement on Friday.
The minister underlined that lakhs of Odia students, particularly in rural areas, will be deprived of quality e-education if Odia is excluded.
“Under no circumstances, the future of Odia students will be compromised,” Behera asserted.
The minister further said that dropping Odia will defeat the “whole purpose of dissolving language barrier in learning”.
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