Odisha is gearing up for a major educational transformation. The state will introduce at least fifty-five new textbooks for students in classes I to VIII. This significant change will take effect from the 2026-27 academic year.
NEP-2020 Drives the Textbook Overhaul
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond made the announcement on Friday. He confirmed the move as a core part of implementing the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 across Odisha. The revelation came during a high-level review meeting.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired this crucial meeting. He directed district officials to actively engage students and parents. The goal is to build widespread awareness and generate genuine enthusiasm for the new learning materials.
Books Tailored for Odisha's Identity
The new textbooks are not mere translations. Officials have carefully contextualized them from standard NCERT materials. They now reflect Odisha's unique local needs, rich culture, and proud heritage. This localization aims to make learning more relevant for young students.
Preparing for this massive rollout requires extensive training. The state has already trained one thousand master resource persons. This training occurred in four separate batches, covering all four administrative zones of Odisha.
These master trainers now have a critical mission. They will train more than 1.66 lakh primary school teachers at the district level. This cascading model ensures the NEP's principles reach every classroom.
Four Key Priorities for School Education
During the meeting, Minister Pradhan outlined four clear priorities for strengthening school education in Odisha.
- Focus sharply on the Nipun Bharat mission to improve foundational literacy and numeracy.
- Promote mother-tongue-based education at least up to Class V.
- Strengthen the PM-Poshan scheme with a renewed emphasis on student nutrition.
- Expand the initiative of 10 school days without bags per year for classes VI to X, as envisioned in NEP-2020.
New Subjects for Holistic Development
Minister Nityananda Gond highlighted the introduction of three new subjects under NEP-2020. These subjects are designed to support the holistic development of every child.
- Art Education
- Physical Education and Well-being
- Vocational Education
Archana Sharma Awasthi, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education, addressed the meeting. She emphasized that implementing NEP-2020 is a shared responsibility. Teachers, she stated, will play the most pivotal role in this national mission.
Awasthi expressed strong confidence in the master resource persons. She believes they will effectively disseminate the core principles of NEP to teachers in every corner of the state.
Statewide Participation in Planning
The high-level meeting saw participation from senior central and state government officials. Odisha School and Mass Education Secretary N Thirumala Naik was among the key attendees.
District Education Officers from all thirty districts of Odisha joined the discussion. Principals from various teacher training institutes and school systems participated virtually. This included heads of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
The collective effort signals a strong commitment to transforming Odisha's educational landscape. The new textbooks mark just the beginning of this ambitious journey under NEP-2020.
