Lok Sabha Question No. 5924 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Inclusion of Dogri Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas Curriculum
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5924 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## Inclusion of Dogri Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas Curriculum

† 5924. Shri Jugal Kishore:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  incorporate  Dogri  language,  Dogra culture, art and history into the curriculum of all Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  affiliated  schools  in  Jammu region; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b) Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are opened primarily to cater to the educational needs of the wards of transferable Central Government Employees including Defence &  Para-Military  personnel,  Central  Autonomous  Bodies,  Central  Public  Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Central Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) by providing a common programme of education. KVs are following a common scheme of education as  per  its  mandate,  with  common  syllabus,  text  books  and  language  so  that  the students are not inconvenienced when they move from one KV to the other when their parents are transferred.

As per information received from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the medium of  instruction  in  KVs  is  Hindi  and  English.  Where  required,  KVs  are  instructed  to engage regional language teachers to facilitate teaching-learning at the foundational stage. As per Article 112 of the Education Code of KVs, 'additional arrangement for teaching of the regional language/mother tongue shall be made, provided 15 or more students are willing to opt for the same'. Temporary teachers are engaged to teach local/regional languages including Dogri, provided there is a demand and sufficient numbers  of  student  are  available.  Teachers  also  adopt  multilingual  pedagogical practices  to  support  students  from  diverse  linguistic  backgrounds.  Further,  KVs promote local language, culture and heritage, including Dogra culture, through various co-curricular and cultural activities. The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education, through its autonomous bodies such as NCERT, has undertaken several initiatives to promote all Indian languages. The National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCF-SE)  2023,  developed  after nationwide deliberations and consultations, advocate multilingualism as the overarching philosophy, policy, and pedagogy for language education in schools. The  National  Education  Policy  2020  and  NCF-SE  2023  recommend  and provide guidelines for the promotion of all Indian languages, including classical and foreign languages, in school education. Multilingualism is envisaged as the foundational  principle  for  language  learning,  particularly  during  the  Foundational Stage. The following initiatives have been undertaken to promote Indian languages, including languages such as Dogri: i. Bhasha Sangam under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: The Government of India has  initiated  a  nationwide  programme,  Bhasha  Sangam,  to  promote  all  Indian languages.  Under  this  initiative,  school  students  learn  100  sentences  in  the  22 Scheduled  Languages  with  audio  and  video  support.  The  programme  has  been implemented  for  the  past  eight  years,  with  participation  from  schools  across  the country. Both textual and audio-visual materials are available on the DIKSHA portal: https://ncert.nic.in/bs-2021.php ii.  Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav: The Government of India has directed all educational institutions  to  celebrate  the  birth  anniversary  of  the  great  Tamil  poet  Subramania Bharati as Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav every year in December. Schools and educational institutions  celebrate  Indian  languages  through  cultural,  literary,  and  academic activities. December 11 marks the culmination of the Utsav, during which institutions showcase their language-related initiatives. iii. Primers in Indian Languages: Primers are introductory books designed to help learners become familiar with a language through visual and textual contexts. These primers introduce alphabets, words, numbers, and simple sentences in meaningful, real-life situations. Primers have been developed in tribal and indigenous languages listed  in  the  Census  of  India  2011. The  Central  Institute  of  Indian  Languages  and

NCERT have jointly developed primers in 104 languages/mother tongues, with a target of covering all 121 languages listed in the Census. These primers are available on the NCERT website: https://ncert.nic.in/primers.php iv.  Bharatiya  Bhasha  Summer  Camps: The  Ministry  of  Education  has  initiated Bharatiya  Bhasha  Summer  Camps  to  encourage  students  to  learn  another  Indian language. These camps include activities such as cultural programmes, folk music, songs, dance, and basic language learning. The initiative was launched on 19 May 2025 to promote awareness about the importance of mother tongue and India's rich linguistic  heritage.  The  objective  is  to  encourage  learners  to  'learn  another  Indian language.'

v.  Jaadui  Pitara: Jaadui  Pitara  has  been  developed  as  an  exemplar  of  teachinglearning  material  for  the  Foundational  Stage.  It  includes  toys,  games,  puzzles, puppets,  posters,  flashcards,  story  cards,  storybooks,  playbooks  for  children,  and teacher handbooks. It reflects the core principle of the National Curriculum Framework for  Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022-learning through play. Children learn best through activities such as talking, listening, playing, drawing, singing, and movement. Jaadui Pitara is available in 22 Indian languages and can be accessed at: https://diksha.gov.in/jadoo/explore.html and https://ejaaduipitara.ncert.gov.in/explorejaadu.html vi. Translation of NCERT Textbooks: NCERT textbooks in subjects such as Science, Mathematics,  Social  Science, Art  Education,  Environmental  Education,  and  Health and  Well-being-developed  in  line  with  NEP  2020,  NCF-FS  2022,  and  NCF-SE 2023-are being translated into 22 Indian languages. Currently, textbooks for Grades 1, 2, 3, and 6 (excluding language textbooks) are available in digital format in 22 Indian languages, as well as in English. These can be accessed at: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php

As per information received from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), CBSE affiliated schools are free to offer Dogri language in Classes I to VIII. Further, Dogri will be offered as a subject in Class IX from the academic session 202627 and will subsequently be extended progressively to Classes X, XI and XII in the successive years.

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