Cuttack, 6th Aug 2025: The Odisha Board of Secondary Education has launched a new plan to replace Sanskrit as a third language in high schools with vocational education. This change is being implemented in 431 schools starting from July 23, where students will be offered vocational subjects in place of Sanskrit or Hindi as a third language.
Previously, around 3,000 high schools offered Hindi or Sanskrit as optional third language subjects. With the latest decision, more than 400 additional schools will now adopt vocational courses as alternatives. This move has raised concerns about the gradual elimination of Sanskrit from the mainstream curriculum.
The State Sanskrit Teachers’ Association has strongly opposed this decision, claiming it endangers the future of Sanskrit—a language often referred to as the “mother of all Indian languages.” According to the current curriculum structure, students study Odia or other regional languages as the first language, English as the second, and Sanskrit or Hindi as the third. Now, vocational subjects are being offered as alternatives to Sanskrit and Hindi.
Critics argue that since vocational subjects include practical components, students are likely to score higher in them, leading to a preference for vocational education over Sanskrit, and thereby causing its decline.
Dr. Sadananda Dixit, National President of Lokabhasha Prachar Samiti, criticized the government’s decision, stating that while vocational education is a welcome addition, it should not come at the cost of traditional languages like Sanskrit. He urged the government to offer vocational studies as an independent subject, rather than a replacement.