Bhubaneswar, April 2: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the 'Sishu Vatika' initiative on Wednesday, aimed at providing pre-school education to children aged 5-6 years in schools across the state as part of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The 'Sishu Vatika' programme was inaugurated with a warm traditional welcome during the 'Prabesh Utsav' or entry festival, marking the beginning of the children’s educational journey. The little ones were introduced to the 'Khadi Chhuan' (touching chalks) activity, where they made their first attempt at writing on slates.
Under this initiative, children between the ages of 5-6 will be enrolled in pre-school classes in government-run schools across Odisha. After launching the programme, Majhi, who is a former teacher, was seen sitting on the floor of a classroom at Badagada High School, guiding a young student in writing 'sunya' (zero) on her slate for the first time.
The Sishu Vatika initiative was introduced to implement the NEP 2020 and provide quality early childhood education. Majhi emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring quality education for students in Odisha. He explained, “We have adopted the NEP 2020 and introduced the Sishu Vatika programme in schools throughout the state. The 'Prabesh Utsav' and 'Khadi Chhuan' activities are part of our efforts to encourage students.” He added that the initiative would play a key role in building a modern, self-reliant, and empowered future for the children.
Majhi also noted that the launch of Sishu Vatika was aligned with the ongoing 'Odia Pakshya' celebrations, which aim to highlight the rich language, literature, culture, traditions, food, dress, and other aspects of Odia life.
To make the children’s first day of school memorable, they were greeted with flowers and adorned with chandan tikas on their foreheads as part of the warm welcome at Sishu Vatika.
