Patna: Bihar’s top political and education leaders marked Sanskrit Day by promising sweeping reforms to strengthen the role of Sanskrit in the state’s education system, including infrastructure upgrades, curriculum changes and new employment opportunities.
The Bihar Sanskrit Education Board hosted the celebrations at Ravindra Bhawan, attended by principals from 650 recognised Sanskrit schools. The event began with a workshop led by Health Minister Mangal Pandey, Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department S. Siddharth, Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University Vice Chancellor Lakshminivas Pandey and Board Chairman Mrityunjay Kumar Jha.
Mangal Pandey said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar valued teachers deeply and stressed that Sanskrit — containing the wisdom of the Ramayana and the Geeta — was a storehouse of culture, consciousness and knowledge. Siddharth promised one model Sanskrit school in every district, better infrastructure, and a revival of the guru-shishya tradition. He also pledged swift action on retirement benefits, pensions and a computer-based Sanskrit education system.
In the second session, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary inaugurated the board’s new website and portal, describing Sanskrit as scientific, simple and key to cultural preservation. He encouraged students to consider Sanskrit as a medium for UPSC preparation and assured that all issues facing teachers and staff would be resolved.
The board released an updated curriculum for classes 1 to 10 in line with the National Education Policy 2020. Fourteen headmasters were honoured for outstanding student results, and all board and curriculum subcommittee members were recognised.
The event opened with collective Swasti Vachan and Shankhnaad by 25 teachers and featured contributions from more than 1,000 Sanskrit enthusiasts, educationists and social workers. Board Chairman Jha noted he had visited 26 districts to assess challenges, including funding shortages, infrastructure gaps and pay concerns, which he has formally raised with the government.
