Jugal for stronger push to Dogri language in Jammu Schools

JAMMU, Dec 8: Jugal Kishore Sharma, Member of Parliament from Jammu Reasi constituency, urged the Ministry of Education to take proactive steps to promote the Dogri language in the Jammu region.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha today, Jugal Kishore specifically questioned the Government about the availability of teaching materials, including textbooks, training, and digital content, in Dogri for students up to Class 5. He asked, "Will the Ministry ensure that teaching resources in the local language of Jammu, Dogri, are made available up to Class 5, and that coordination between NCERT and SCERT is strengthened for this purpose?

He demanded that the Dogri language should be compulsory subject up to 5th standard in Jammu schools.

In response, the Minister of Education assured Jugal Kishore Sharma that under the National Education Policy (NEP), regional languages such as Dogri would be made compulsory in schools across the Jammu region. The Minister also mentioned that the drafting and printing of Dogri syllabus textbooks and educational materials are already underway.

However, Sharma also informed the House that the Jammu & Kashmir Government has been lacking in its efforts to promote the Dogri language in the region." He pointed out that despite the Central Government's strong push through the NEP-2020, the State Government has been slow to take action to integrate Dogri into the educational system.

Jugal Kishore Sharma stressed on preservation and promotion of Dogri and other regional languages. He said that the promotion of Dogri is essential for the educational development, cultural identity, and empowerment of the people of Jammu.