The Punjab state government has started teaching Telugu to students in government schools during their summer vacation. This initiative is part of the central government's "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" program.
Under this program, an "Indian Language Summer Camp" is being held from May 26 to June 5 to teach Telugu. Videos of students happily learning and speaking Telugu have gained widespread attention online.
Following orders from the Department of School Education and Literacy, Punjab's State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) implemented the program.
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All government schools in Punjab were instructed to conduct these summer camps. Students from 6th to 10th grade participate, attending classes daily from 8 AM to 11 AM.
Schools have formed batches based on the number of interested students and available teachers. Schools with fewer than 75 students were grouped together to run the camps.
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The central government's aim is to introduce Indian languages to children and help them appreciate the country's linguistic diversity.
However, the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) has protested against these camps, arguing that the government should prioritize helping students who have failed their regular subjects instead of teaching new languages, which they consider unreasonable.
In short, Punjab is encouraging government school students to learn Telugu during the summer break through a national program, though some teachers' groups have raised concerns.
Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking communities on social media are expressing gratitude to the government and officials who made this initiative possible.