Odisha Govt Forms Committee to Introduce Medical Education in Odia Language

On Thursday, the Odisha government took a significant step by creating a 22-member committee. This committee's crucial task is to develop a plan for providing medical education in Odia, which aligns with the BJP's commitment to offering technical education, including medical, in Odia.

"In view of the mandate to provide medical education in Odia language in the state, the committee will examine the matter, identify the essential course books for MBBS education required to be translated into Odia language and workout timelines and budget requirement for undertaking this task," said an official order of the health and family welfare department.

The committee, chaired by the esteemed Manash Ranjan Sahoo, vice-chancellor of Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS), Bhubaneswar, is a powerhouse of expertise. It includes professors from several medical institutions in the state, such as SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH), and national institutes like AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The committee also boasts a member of Odia Bhasa Pratisthan, Bhubaneswar, and two OUHS officials other than the vice-chancellor. 

"The committee will assess the volume of works to be taken up for the purpose and the timeline required for getting the work done. The committee is committed to submitting their proposal to the health and family welfare department within 15 days for taking further action in the matter," said health secretary Shalini Pandit in the official order issued on Thursday, ensuring the audience is well-informed about the timeline.

Sahoo, chairman of the committee, emphasised the committee's commitment to this humongous task. "It is a significant step towards promoting and propagating the Odia language to the next level. Students who are not comfortable with English can now study medical education in Odia. We have chosen experts from different institutions who are equally committed to this direction," he added, instilling a sense of support for the initiative.

In Odisha, textbooks are being prepared for engineering courses. "In November 2022, President Droupadi Murmu released engineering books for first-year undergraduate (UG) students. "We are now preparing textbooks for second-year UG students. It will be ready by October this year," said Subrat Kumar Prusty, an expert involved in the process