Jammu, Dec 08: Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma has urged the Centre to take stronger measures for integrating Dogri into school education across the Jammu region, pressing for the language to be made compulsory up to Class 5.
Raising the issue during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Sharma sought information from the Ministry of Education on the availability of Dogri textbooks, trained teachers and digital learning resources. He called for better coordination between the National Council of Educational Research and Training and the State Council of Educational Research and Training, while questioning the slow pace of implementation. He stressed that primary students should have timely access to learning material in their mother tongue.
Responding to the query, the Education Minister reiterated the Centre’s commitment to promoting regional languages under the National Education Policy. He informed the House that drafting and printing of Dogri textbooks and related educational content were already underway and would be introduced in schools in the Jammu region.
Sharma, however, criticised what he termed as inadequate efforts by the Jammu and Kashmir administration in putting the policy into practice. He emphasised that the promotion of Dogri within schools is essential to safeguarding cultural heritage and fostering a sense of linguistic pride among young learners, while supporting their educational growth and community identity.
