Odisha
Odisha Launches ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’ Scheme for Early Childhood
- 16 Jan 2026
- 3 min read
Why in News?
The Odisha government has launched a scheme called ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’, aimed at providing early childhood education in mother tongue.
Key Points
- Scheme: ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’ (meaning “We will study in our own language”) is a five-year educational initiative to impart early childhood education in children’s mother tongue.
- Launch: The scheme was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also serves as the Women and Child Development Minister.
- Emphasising women’s empowerment and child welfare as a priority.
- Target Group: It will benefit children aged 3–6 years.
- Pilot Implementation: In the first phase, the programme will be rolled out in Keonjhar, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts using tribal languages such as Munda, Kui, Saura, Kuvi, Gondi and Koya.
- Anganwadi Capacity Building: Anganwadi workers will receive language-specific training, educational materials and audio-visual content.
- Child Marriage Prevention: The government has also launched a 100-day campaign to prevent child marriage.
- The campaign will be driven by youth leadership, ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
- Focusing on awareness, safety and community participation through rallies, conferences and early warning systems.
- NEP Alignment: The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, emphasising mother tongue-based learning in early years to strengthen learning outcomes and preserve linguistic identity.
- Constitutional Provisions:
- Article 350A: Directs the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups.
Read More: National Education Policy 2020, ASHA
