Jaipur: Amid the controversy over implementation of the three-language formula prescribed by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Sanskrit is set to make an entry as a compulsory subject in schools.
In a first in India, the BJP-led Rajasthan government is close to implementing Sanskrit as a compulsory subject at the pre-primary level in all schools.
“Rajasthan will be the first state in India to teach Sanskrit at the pre-primary level. A proposal was sent to the cabinet in this regard earlier this year. We have prepared the curriculum framework and also launched the books. We will start the classes once the Cabinet gives the final nod,” commissioner of Rajasthan’s Sanskrit education department Priyanka Jodhawat said.
The project will be implemented in three phases.
“In the first phase, we will start at the pre-primary schools only under the Sanskrit education department. There is no pre-primary school running in the Sanskrit schools in Rajasthan. However, at least 757 pre-primary Sanskrit schools are proposed, which will be starting in a month. Sanskrit will be a must subject in all those schools from the start,” informed an official from the Education minister’s office.
Pre-primary level facility is also available in 962 Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools (MGEMS) and 660 PM-Shree Schools in Rajasthan, where Sanskrit will be implemented in the second and third phases next year.
Books have been prepared by the RSCERT, after being approved by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the state government.
The books have been named — Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Pratham Vaag for pre-primary first standard, Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Dwitiya Vaag for pre-primary second standard, and Sanskritpraveshah: Balvaatika Tritya Vaag for pre-primary third standard.
“They are written in very simple language and designed like a comic book to attract children. These three books for the three classes of pre-primary are only to introduce the students to the subject and give them an idea about basic vocabulary and grammar of Sanskrit,” the official said.
Sanskrit is currently compulsory in all classes in Sanskrit schools, and is available as an optional third language from Class IX to Class XII in MGEMS schools, and in Class VI to Class VIII in Hindi medium and PM-Shree schools.
