Bhubaneswar: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, will soon have its textbooks translated into Odia. This includes over 50 diploma and certificate course books, more than 400 undergraduate books, and over 200 postgraduate books — totaling more than 650 books to be translated into Odia.
An estimated budget of ₹2.45 crore has been allocated for this initiative, which is expected to be completed within two years. Today, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Higher Education, Odisha, and IGNOU in this regard.
During the MoU signing ceremony held at Lok Seva Bhawan, Odisha Higher Education Minister Surya Banshi Suraj stated that increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education can only be achieved when textbooks and study materials are available in the Odia language. He emphasized that this MoU will make higher education more inclusive and robust in Odisha. The core aim of the initiative is to ensure that no student is deprived of education due to language barriers.
Highlighting the importance of the National Education Policy 2020, he said it strongly advocates for providing education in the mother tongue. Although a similar MoU was signed with IGNOU in 2007, it did not yield effective results. This time, not only will translation take place, but the books will also be digitized and made available as e-books.
The content from IGNOU will be translated into Odia, and special emphasis will be placed on the digital format. Odisha’s GER currently stands at 22.1%, meaning that out of every 100 students completing secondary education, only 22 proceed to higher education — the rest drop out. This program aims to raise Odisha’s GER to 50% by 2036. The MoU is expected to play a significant role in increasing GER and reducing dropout rates.
Once the translation is completed using appropriate tools and technology, the Higher Education Department will have the content reviewed by language experts. IGNOU will supply the course materials for translation and provide technical and academic guidance. A Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) will be formed to oversee the project.
This committee will include the Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU, the Secretary of the Higher Education Department, two nominees from IGNOU, and two nominees from the Department of Higher Education. The translated books will be reviewed and published following quality assurance procedures.
Notable dignitaries present at today’s event included:
Prof. Uma Kanjilal, Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU
Alok Chaube, Registrar of IGNOU
Arvind Agrawal, Secretary of Higher Education
Ramakant Nayak, Independent Secretary
This initiative marks a major step forward in making higher education accessible and equitable for Odia-speaking students.
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