Tripura rolls out language mapping drive to boost Kokborok in schools
The project will ensure that students & teachers proficient in Kokborok are deployed in schools where the language is taught
CM Manik Saha in the Tripura Assembly
Agartala, Jan 16: In a bid to preserve and promote linguistic diversity, the Tripura government has launched a comprehensive language mapping project across its schools.
The initiative aims to document the linguistic landscape of the state and ensure that Kokborok, the lingua franca of the Tripuri community, receives adequate representation in the education system.
The project, spearheaded by the Kokborok and Other Minority Languages Department, will also ensure that students and teachers proficient in Kokborok are deployed in schools where the language is taught.
The announcement came after Tipra Motha Party MLA Biswajit Kalai raised concerns in the Tripura Assembly, prompting a written response from Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha.
Dr. Saha, while highlighting the importance of promoting Kokborok and other minority languages, confirmed that the department would soon complete the mapping project, further strengthening Kokborok's presence in the state’s schools.
Currently, Kokborok is taught as a subject in 1,163 schools for Classes I to V, 133 schools for Classes VI to VIII, 115 schools for Classes IX and X, and 65 schools for Classes XI and XII.
From the 2024-25 academic session, the language has been introduced in 20 additional schools for Class I students.
Since its establishment in 2012, the Kokborok and Other Minority Languages Department have been instrumental in promoting the language.
The department prints and distributes Kokborok textbooks for free, with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) overseeing their production. Textbooks for Classes I to VIII are currently under preparation.
Between 2018 and 2024, the department published 26 out of its total 59 Kokborok books and organized 16 workshops, seminars, teacher training programs, and educational events.
A notable event was the three-day workshop in July 2024, which focused on upgrading Kokborok dictionaries.
Additionally, over ₹5 crore has been invested in the past two financial years to protect and develop Kokborok and other minority languages, demonstrating the government’s commitment to linguistic preservation.