State Government Initiates Language Mapping Project for Teachers and Students: Chief Minister in Assembly
Tripura 15 Jan, 2025: The state government has launched a project to conduct a comprehensive language mapping of all teachers and students in schools across the state. The primary objective of this mapping is to accurately identify the mother tongue of teachers and students. This initiative will help ascertain the number of students whose mother tongue is Kokborok and identify schools with Kokborok-speaking teachers. The Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages will soon complete the project. Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha stated this during the first half of today’s Assembly session in response to a notice raised by MLA Biswajit Kalai.
MLA Biswajit Kalai’s notice focused on the “Steps taken by the state government for the development of the Kokborok language.” Addressing the matter, the Chief Minister informed the Assembly that Kokborok is being taught as a subject in 1,163 schools from Class I to V, 133 schools from Class VI to VIII, 115 schools in Classes IX and X, and 65 schools in Classes XI and XII. Additionally, from the 2024-25 academic year, Kokborok has been introduced as a subject in 20 more schools starting from Class I.
Since the establishment of the Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages in 2012, the department has been printing Kokborok textbooks for Classes IX to XII and distributing them free of cost to schools. Currently, textbooks for Classes I to VIII are being prepared, and SCERT is handling their printing and free distribution. A total of 59 books in Kokborok literature have been published by the department, with 26 of them released between 2018 and 2024. During the same period, 16 workshops, seminars, teacher training programs, and educational events focusing on Kokborok were organized.
Efforts are also underway to upgrade the Kokborok sub-dialect dictionary. Last year, the department hosted a three-day workshop (July 10-12) to enhance the vocabulary. A new Kokborok dictionary is in progress and will be published soon.
The Chief Minister further highlighted that literary magazines like Khumpui and Imangni Khumbar are regularly published by the department, while the Yakpai magazine is released annually to mark Kokborok Day celebrations. An online Kokborok learning course for government employees is already active, and the Department of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages is conducting Kokborok learning courses for professionals at Umakanta Academy.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that Kokborok Day is celebrated every year on January 19, involving school and college students, NGOs, and social organizations. Cultural events and rallies are organized across the state, with all subdivisions observing the day since 2020. Schools, colleges, and universities celebrate Kokborok Day for an entire week. Last year, during the 46th Kokborok Day celebration, five Kokborok teachers were honored for their contributions to teaching the language and promoting its development.
