According to School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond on Friday, a minimum of 55 brand new textbooks are going to be brought out for classes 1 to 8 in the state, starting from the academic year 2026, 27, in line with the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.

The launch was disclosed at a high, level meeting led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He instructed the local authorities to carry out activities for students and parents to familiarize and generate excitement about the new textbooks.

The books were translated and contextualised from NCERT materials to reflect Odisha’s local needs, culture and heritage. For the rollout, 1,000 master resource persons have been trained in four batches across four zones. They will train more than 1.66 lakh primary teachers at the district level.

Pradhan outlined four priorities for strengthening school education: focus on Nipun Bharat and foundational literacy and numeracy, promote mother-tongue-based education at least up to Class V, strengthen PM-Poshan with emphasis on student nutrition, and expand 10 school days without bags per year for classes VI to X as envisaged in NEP-2020.

Gond said three new subjects — art education, physical education and well-being, and vocational education —have been introduced under NEP-2020 to support holistic development.

Archana Sharma Awasthi, additional secretary, ministry of education, said NEP-2020 implementation is a shared responsibility, with teachers playing a key role. She expressed confidence that master resource persons would disseminate NEP principles to teachers across the state.

The meeting was attended by senior central and state govt officials, including Odisha school and mass education secretary N Thirumala Naik. District education officers from all 30 districts and principals of teacher training institutes, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas and Eklavya Model Residential Schools joined virtually.

Meghalaya introduces community-integrated skill learning in schools

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma, announced on Friday that the State Cabinet has given its nod for the introduction of Community Integrated Skill Learning (CISL) as a formal curricular component for students from Classes VI to X. This is a landmark educational reform in the state's school education system to make learning more experiential and socially rooted.

Speaking further, the Chief Minister pointed out that currently, Health and Physical Education is given as the sixth subject for Classes VI to X, but its character remains mostly limited to textbooks and theoretical knowledge about health and physical activities.

To make the subject more meaningful, practical and relevant to students’ lives, the Cabinet has decided to integrate CISL into the existing framework.

The skills may range across traditional occupations, local practices and community-based expertise, allowing students to learn directly from their immediate social environment.

Explaining the concept, CM Sangma said that if a student’s family is engaged in farming, the student may opt to learn agricultural skills directly from parents.

Similarly, skills practiced by other family members or available within the local community can be chosen.

Students will be required not only to observe but to actively learn, participate and demonstrate the selected skill as part of the assessment process.

The Chief Minister said the initiative carries multiple long-term benefits.From a skill development point of view, CISL will enable students to get hold of hands, on and work, oriented skills that might be of help in their future personal or professional lives.

Moreover, students won't be required to do the same work as their parents, but the approach will most likely lead to the continuation, respect and valuing of traditional family and community based ways of living.

CM Sangma further pointed out the social aspect of the programme emphasizing that as CISL is going to be a major component of academic assessment, it will motivate students to interact and collaborate more with their families.

He said that this will make the family relationship stronger and generate a feeling of shared responsibility in the learning process.

The Chief Minister, referring to CISL as an innovative step by the Education Department, stated that the initiative intends to bring the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills down, to raise the community's participation in education, and to create a great social impact by linking education to real life experiences.

250 'illegal' madrasas sealed by Uttarakhand govt, cleared 10k acres

The Uttarakhand government has sealed more than 250 "illegal" madrasas and removed encroachments on over 10,000 acres of government land as part of a major drive against unlawful institutions and violations of prescribed norms, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.

Drive Against Illegal Madrasas and Encroachments

In a post on social media platform X on Saturday, Dhami said, "Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has its own distinct cultural identity. To preserve this heritage and maintain the state's original character, our government is working with full commitment."

He stated that in the name of religious structures, illegal encroachments on over 10,000 acres of government land have been removed across the state.

The Chief Minister said the action also included sealing more than 250 unauthorised madrasas where, according to him, "radical education was being imparted against the rules."

"Our government's clear resolve is that there will be no compromise with the culture of Devbhoomi, social balance, and law and order," Dhami said.

CM Addresses Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction

Dhami, on his part, participated in a one- day workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, virtually on Friday.

The Chief Minister said that the workshop would be a series of deep discussions on subjects of great importance like disaster risk reduction, pre, disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and community participation. Besides, concrete strategies would be framed to implement technological innovation, research collaboration, and partnerships more effectively, he said, as per a statement.

From the workshop's recommendations, he added, the entire Himalayan region, along with Uttarakhand, would benefit.

The Chief Minister said that the negative consequences of natural disasters in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts, heavy rainfall, avalanches, and forest fires, could be avoided if a scientific model, timely preparedness, and the collective efforts of the people were utilized.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced the 4P mantra, Predict, Prevent, Prepare, Protect, for disaster risk reduction and that they are working on a 10 point agenda which will be in line with this vision.

He revealed that the State Government is constantly putting efforts in pre, disaster preparedness, AI, based warning systems, digital monitoring systems, glacier research centre, drone surveillance, GIS mapping, satellite monitoring, rapid response teams, forest fire early warning systems, and a complete forest fire management plan.

The Chief Minister stated that the main department of disaster management, the forest department, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the local administration have been brought together to work more efficiently and in an orderly manner for the smooth running of disaster management throughout the state.