Parliament Question: Inclusion of Dogri Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas Curriculum

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5924 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 Inclusion of Dogri Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas Curriculum †5924. Shri Jugal Kishore: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to incorporate Dogri language, Dogra culture, art and history into the curriculum of all Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools in Jammu region; and (b) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) & (b) Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are opened primarily to cater to the educational needs of the wards of transferable Central Government Employees including Defence & Para-Military personnel, Central Autonomous Bodies, Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Central Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) by providing a common programme of education. KVs are following a common scheme of education as per its mandate, with common syllabus, text books and language so that the students are not inconvenienced when they move from one KV to the other when their parents are transferred. As per information received from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the medium of instruction in KVs is Hindi and English. Where required, KVs are instructed to engage regional language teachers to facilitate teaching-learning at the foundational stage. As per Article 112 of the Education Code of KVs, “additional arrangement for teaching of the regional language/mother tongue shall be made, provided 15 or more students are willing to opt for the same”. Temporary teachers are engaged to teach local/regional languages including Dogri, provided there is a demand and sufficient numbers of student are available. Teachers also adopt multilingual pedagogical practices to support students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Further, KVspromote local language, culture and heritage, including Dogra culture, through various co-curricular and cultural activities. The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, through its autonomous bodies such as NCERT, has undertaken several initiatives to promote all Indian languages. The National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, developed after nationwide deliberations and consultations, advocate multilingualism as the overarching philosophy, policy, and pedagogy for language education in schools. The National Education Policy 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 recommend and provide guidelines for the promotion of all Indian languages, including classical and foreign languages, in school education. Multilingualism is envisaged as the foundational principle for language learning, particularly during the Foundational Stage. The following initiatives have been undertaken to promote Indian languages, including languages such as Dogri: i. Bhasha Sangam under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: The Government of India has initiated a nationwide programme, Bhasha Sangam, to promote all Indian languages. Under this initiative, school students learn 100 sentences in the 22 Scheduled Languages with audio and video support. The programme has been implemented for the past eight years, with participation from schools across the country. Both textual and audio-visual materials are available on the DIKSHA portal: https://ncert.nic.in/bs-2021.php ii. Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav: The Government of India has directed all educational institutions to celebrate the birth anniversary of the great Tamil poet Subramania Bharati as Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav every year in December. Schools and educational institutions celebrate Indian languages through cultural, literary, and academic activities. December 11 marks the culmination of the Utsav, during which institutions showcase their language-related initiatives. iii. Primers in Indian Languages: Primers are introductory books designed to help learners become familiar with a language through visual and textual contexts. These primers introduce alphabets, words, numbers, and simple sentences in meaningful, real-life situations. Primers have been developed in tribal and indigenous languages listed in the Census of India 2011. The Central Institute of Indian Languages andNCERT have jointly developed primers in 104 languages/mother tongues, with a target of covering all 121 languages listed in the Census. These primers are available on the NCERT website: https://ncert.nic.in/primers.php iv. Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camps: The Ministry of Education has initiated Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camps to encourage students to learn another Indian language. These camps include activities such as cultural programmes, folk music, songs, dance, and basic language learning. The initiative was launched on 19 May 2025 to promote awareness about the importance of mother tongue and India’s rich linguistic heritage. The objective is to encourage learners to “learn another Indian language.” v. Jaadui Pitara: Jaadui Pitara has been developed as an exemplar of teaching- learning material for the Foundational Stage. It includes toys, games, puzzles, puppets, posters, flashcards, story cards, storybooks, playbooks for children, and teacher handbooks. It reflects the core principle of the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022—learning through play. Children learn best through activities such as talking, listening, playing, drawing, singing, and movement. Jaadui Pitara is available in 22 Indian languages and can be accessed at: https://diksha.gov.in/jadoo/explore.html and https://ejaaduipitara.ncert.gov.in/explorejaadu.html vi. Translation of NCERT Textbooks: NCERT textbooks in subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Social Science, Art Education, Environmental Education, and Health and Well-being—developed in line with NEP 2020, NCF-FS 2022, and NCF-SE 2023—are being translated into 22 Indian languages. Currently, textbooks for Grades 1, 2, 3, and 6 (excluding language textbooks) are available in digital format in 22 Indian languages, as well as in English. These can be accessed at: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php As per information received from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), CBSE affiliated schools are free to offer Dogri language in Classes I to VIII. Further, Dogri will be offered as a subject in Class IX from the academic session 2026– 27 and will subsequently be extended progressively to Classes X, XI and XII in the successive years. *****