Odisha Demands Odia Script for Jharkhand Teacher Test

The Odisha government has officially intervened after the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) published the Odia language syllabus for the 2026 Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test in Devanagari script rather than the native Odia script.

In a letter to JAC, Odisha's Commissioner-cum-Secretary Rashmita Panda termed the error *highly regretful*, emphasizing that Odia is a classical language with its own distinct script, constitutionally recognized among 22 scheduled languages and 11 classical languages of India. She noted the inconsistency, pointing out that Bengali syllabus was correctly presented in its native script.

The issue was brought to light by Nandu Kumar Pandey and other residents of Jharkhand's Saraikela-Kharsawan district, who petitioned Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Their representation demanded republication in proper Odia script, inclusion of appropriate Odia prose and poetry, and equal treatment with other Indian languages in competitive examinations.

Odisha has endorsed these demands, urging JAC to take corrective action to uphold Odia's linguistic identity and cultural significance.