Nepali language to be included in senior secondary curriculum of national open school soon, says MP Raju Bista

In a big step for the Nepali-speaking community, the Nepali language is set to be included as a subject at the senior secondary level under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). This announcement came following efforts by Raju Bista, Member of Parliament from Darjeeling and National Spokesperson of the BJP who took up the matter with the central education authorities.

Bista had received a request from the Darjeeling Nepali Girls Social Service Centre (DNGSSC) to get Nepali included in the NIOS curriculum for senior secondary students. Understanding the importance of the language, he brought the issue to the attention of Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, the Minister of State for Education.

In response, Professor Pankaj Arora, Chairperson of NIOS, informed Mr. Bista that the inclusion of Nepali is being planned as part of a larger initiative. This plan is connected with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), under which the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is currently developing course materials for all scheduled languages, including Nepali.

Arora said that once this broad development of course materials is complete, NIOS will align its curriculum accordingly. This means Nepali will soon be available as a subject for senior secondary students studying through NIOS.

Bista welcomed this news and called it a proud moment for the Nepali-speaking people. He said, “Nepali is one of the 22 official languages recognized in our Constitution. Its inclusion in NIOS will help preserve our culture and identity.” He further urged everyone including educators, parents and community leaders to support and promote the language actively.

Speaking about the importance of language, Bista said, “Languages carry the soul of our identity. By nurturing Nepali, we honor our heritage and keep the connection strong for future generations.”