Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025 22:15 [IST]
Last Update: Monday, Jul 28, 2025 16:36 [IST]
GANGTOK,: Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba has formally written to the Ministry of Education endorsing a joint representation submitted by four prominent community organizations of Sikkim - Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh, Denjong Sherpa Association, Sikkim Tamang Buddhist Association, and All Sikkim Gurung (Tamu) Buddhist Association - seeking the inclusion of Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, and Gurung languages as optional second vernacular subjects in CBSE Classes XI and XII.
Indra Hang personally called on Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan at his office in the Parliament House, and also met the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, at his residence to convey the urgency and cultural importance of the matter, a press release on Monday informs.
The communities had earlier expressed concern over the Ministry’s rejection of this request, conveyed through a letter dated 20th December 2024.
In his communication, the Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim strongly urged the Ministry to reconsider the decision in light of the educational, constitutional, and cultural significance of the proposal.
“These languages are already part of the CBSE curriculum in Classes IX and X. Discontinuing them in senior secondary classes breaks the academic continuity and undermines efforts at cultural and linguistic preservation,” said Indra Hang. He further emphasized that the demand is logistically feasible and aligns with the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes multilingualism and inclusion of regional languages.
The representation highlights that the inclusion would not require additional resources or examination days, as students are only required to choose one second language from an existing set of options.
The Lok Sabha MP also noted that this move would strengthen the Union Government’s commitment to inclusive and equitable education while upholding Article 29 of the Constitution, which protects the interests of minorities.
Indra Hang has requested the Ministry to direct CBSE to introduce these languages from the 2025–26 academic session in schools with demonstrated demand and to issue a timeline for implementation at the earliest, the release mentions.
