IGNOU launches MBA study material in Odia language to promote regional language education

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched MBA study materials in the Odia language.

Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled the regional language materials at an event on Jan 21.

The launch event was attended by Odisha’s Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister of Higher Education, Odia Language, Literature, and Culture, along with Sampad Chandra Swain, Minister of State for Skill Development, Technical Education, and Industries.

Professor T G Sitharam, the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Professor Uma Kanjilal, the vice chancellor of IGNOU, and Mrutyunjay Behera, the joint secretary and economic advisor for the Ministry of Education, were present at the release ceremony.

Pradhan praised IGNOU's efforts to disseminate high-quality higher education throughout the nation, highlighted the value of pursuing higher education in one's mother tongue, and emphasized the development of mother tongue cognitive processes as a scientific phenomenon.

He added that learning in one's mother tongue stimulates creative thinking.

He further emphasized that having a strong affection for one's native tongue does not mean that English or any other language is being undermined.

He expressed gratitude to IGNOU and AICTE for the introduction of technical and professional education study materials in various regional languages.

He also anticipated that IGNOU would work to provide an increasing number of programs in regional languages, including Odia, in the days ahead.

IGNOU's efforts to promote higher education across the nation, regardless of caste, creed, geography, gender, or age, were commended by Suryabanshi Suraj.

According to him, IGNOU has a lot of potential to provide higher education to Odisha's working class and youth, who make up a sizable section of the state's population.

Sampad Chandra Swain praised IGNOU’s efforts in delivering inclusive education to various sections of society and pledged full support and cooperation to further IGNOU’s mission of expanding education, especially technical education, across the state.

Professor Sitharam highlighted that in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, which advocates for offering technical education in regional languages, AICTE has been working to develop study materials in these languages.

He commended IGNOU for its valuable partnership in this initiative.

Professor Nayantara Padhi from IGNOU’s Faculty of Management Studies expressed gratitude to the experts from across Odisha for their contributions to creating the MBA study materials in Odia.

She also thanked the Ministry of Education for its dedicated efforts to promote higher education in the mother tongue.