Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp in New Delhi today. He also released Primers in Indian languages and Special Modules in thirteen languages. Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Director, NCERT, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani; Chairman, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Shri Chamu Krishna Shastry; Joint Secretary, DoSEL, Smt. Prachi Pandey; and other dignitaries were also present at the event. The Minister also visited the stalls at the exhibition prior to the event.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, while speaking at the event, appreciated the initiative of organising the Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp in schools across the country. He also commended NCERT for publishing the Primers in 117 languages, bringing it closer to the target of 122 Primers.
He added that NCERT has become a strong backbone in propagating our knowledge system through their textbooks, which are being adopted by 22 states.Shri Pradhan further highlighted the significance of the special modules released today and how they have been developed for different levels. He also emphasised the importance of teaching in the mother tongue until Class 8 to realise the goal of Viksit Bharat.
He stressed that students must also be made aware of our environment, and this too should be done in their mother tongue. He added that technology should be used in achieving this.The Minister also underscored the need to introduce AI to school students. He added that age-appropriate, AI-embedded textbooks in mother tongue are extremely important.
Sanjay Kumar, in his speech, stated that language is connected to our identity, culture, and helps in developing our thought process. He also highlighted the recommendation of NEP 2020 on delivering Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in the mother tongue.
He further stressed the importance of learning other languages once a child has gained proficiency in his or her mother tongue. He also expressed his gratitude to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan for motivating everyone in promoting multilingualism.
Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp
The National Education Policy 2020 envisions a nation where multilingualism is not just celebrated, but leveraged to enhance learning. The Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camps are a direct manifestation of this vision. These camps, to be held across all states and UTs, will expose the children to the beauty and diversity of Indian languages in a fun and engaging way.
The duration of the Summer Camp will be for 28 hours, based upon the Capsule Course designed by NCERT/SCERT. Various types of language learning material, both print and digital, produced by institutions like CIIL Mysore, NCERT, Central Hindi Directorate, Central Institute of Classical Tamil, National Council for Promotion of Sindhi, Sanskrit Universities and other such institutions have been utilised for the learning activities in the camps.
During the seven-day-long Summer Camp the students and teachers across the country will learn another Indian language of a different linguistic family, which will send a powerful message of affinity and unity through languages across the country.
In the Camp, the students will learn basic greetings, expressions, alphabets, numbers, and practice writing signatures with the help of role-plays, flashcards, and translation of motivational and patriotic slogans. They will also engage in virtual city tours and real-life conversation practice using audio-visual tools.
Focusing on art and culture, students will explore music, dance, and painting with activities such as singing patriotic songs in different languages, identifying local instruments, learning dance steps, and engaging with local art through videos or guest speakers. The students will also learn the names of spices, vegetables, and fruits, and prepare traditional dishes with teachers’ assistance.
They will appreciate local culture, enhance listening skills, and learn about national heroes from various fields. With a focus on geography and history, they will learn about rivers, mountains, and historical monuments using physical maps and audio-visual resources. The Camp will be concluded with motivational sessions, student performances, quizzes, and certificate distribution.
Primers in Indian languages
Primers in Indian languages have been specially developed to support foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by using the child’s mother tongue, home, or local language. These Primers aim to facilitate early reading and writing through context-rich materials in the learner’s native language; promote emotional and cultural connection with language from a young age and support multilingual learning as a foundation for cognitive growth and social integration.
The 104 language primers already developed by CIIL and NCERT are crucial for foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) across ages. For young children, these primers provide a strong base for future learning and cognitive development. For older illiterate individuals, they offer empowerment, enhance daily life, and boost self-esteem.
These primers, supporting 17 Scheduled, 23 Non-tribal, and 81 Tribal languages across 28 states/UTs, ensure linguistic inclusivity and accessibility, promoting lifelong learning and bridging educational gaps.Primers in 13 languages have been prepared now includes Kashmiri (Perso-Arabic), Sindhi (Devanagari), Sindhi (Perso-Arabic), Kashmiri (Devanagari), Balti, Santali, Zeme, Urdu, Sangtam, Lai (Pawi), Gondi-Telugu, Bhili (Wagdi), and Chokri bringing the total number of Primers to 117.
These Primers in Indian languages have been developed by Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) and NCERT and the Special Modules that have been developed by NCERT. The primers are available online at https://ncert.nic.in/primers.php.
Special Modules
NCERT has developed special modules for differentiation stages – foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary stages that are focusing on the national achievements and events. These modules are based on various themes, which includes – India as the Fifth Economic Power; Bharat – Mother of Democracy; India’s Digital Success and Power; COVID-19 Management; Asian Games Sporting Success; Swachhata and Virasat aur Vikas etc.
These modules have numerous activities and age appropriate content that instil pride in the students towards the rich cultural heritage of our country. Content of these modules has been thoughtfully designed to be interactive and engaging. It includes graphics, photographs, illustrations, activities, challenging questions, and more. These modules cater to students across the stages of school education, spanning from grades 1 to 12.
They have been created with a mindful approach towards the relevance of themes for different stages. The modules feature stories, cases, quiz questions, and activities, all designed to motivate self-paced learning among students and encourage teachers to guide their students through the suggested pedagogy of experiential learning.
Launching of the Special Module reflects India’s belief in “language as cultural identity” and “education as empowerment.” Stakeholders from across the educational ecosystem—including curriculum developers, teachers, linguists, and policymakers have gathered to mark this momentous step in strengthening India’s multilingual and democratic foundations. The Special Modules are available at: https://ncert.nic.in/special_modules.php.
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