Project Samhati:

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Why in the news?

The new National Education Policy 2020 lays emphasis on imparting teaching in the mother tongue in primary classes.

Thus, Odisha has launched the Samhati project for imparting its various tribal languages. 

Key highlights:

• The project will help save endangered tribal languages.
• It intends to address the language issues faced by tribal students in early grades or elementary classes.
• Under this, the department plans to cover approximately 2.5 lakh students in 1,450 primary schools in the State.
• As many as 3,328 teachers and 222 language teachers are in place to impart teaching in tribal languages.

Under Samhati, all teachers of primary level would be provided functional knowledge of tribal languages. 

• Implemented by: The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) and the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC), Bhubaneswar 
• Of the 21 languages, Santhali — the only language which has been included in the eighth schedule of Constitution — is taught in its own ol chiki script while the rest of tribal languages have Odia scripts.

Others:

• Odisha is home to 62 different tribal communities including 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), making it the State with the most diverse indigenous communities in the country.
• The new National Education Policy lays emphasis on imparting teaching in the mother tongue in primary classes. But when the language-base of Odisha’s adivasi communities is as diverse as 21 spoken languages further divided into 74 dialects, the task appears to be quite onerous.