Odisha CM Launches ‘Shishu Batika’ to Strengthen Pre-Primary Education

Bhubaneswar, Apr 2: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched ‘Shishu Batika,’ a pre-nursery initiative aimed at providing foundational education to young children under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Majhi visited Badagarh School in Bhubaneswar, where he engaged with pre-primary students and personally taught them their first alphabet lesson by writing ‘Ma’ as the first letter. Drawing from his background as a teacher, he interacted with the children, asking simple questions about their families to create an emotional connection.

As part of the launch, the Chief Minister also served midday meals to students of ninth and tenth grades and flagged off an awareness chariot for ‘Pravesh’ (Entrance Ceremony) and ‘Khadi Khara’ (Learning the Alphabet). Additionally, he distributed learning material kits to children and visited stalls showcasing literacy, numeracy, and creative learning materials. He also observed the teaching methods used in nursery classes.

Speaking on the occasion, Majhi emphasized that ‘Shishu Batika’ has been designed to cater to the developmental needs of young children and aims to strengthen the primary education sector in Odisha. Under NEP 2020, pre-primary education has officially commenced across the state from Wednesday.

From the academic year 2025-26, every primary school in Odisha will have a ‘Shishu Batika’ facility to provide preschool education for children aged 5 to 6 years. The initiative will introduce children to education through entertainment-based learning methods, along with the distribution of learning material kits to enhance their early learning experience.

The program was organized by the School and Mass Education Department and was attended by several dignitaries, including Ekamra Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh, Khurda MLA Prashant Jagdeb, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, and social worker Jagannath Pradhan.

The state government aims to strengthen the foundation of primary education through this initiative, ensuring that young children receive quality early education in a nurturing environment.