Gangtok: Sikkim’s Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba has requested the Ministry of Education to include tribal languages such as Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, and Gurung as optional second language subjects for Classes 11 and 12 under the CBSE curriculum in Sikkim.
The appeal was made in support of a joint representation submitted by four community organisations — Sikkim Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh, Denjong Sherpa Association, Sikkim Tamang Buddhist Association, and All Sikkim Gurung (Tamu) Buddhist Association.
Subba met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Parliament House and also held discussions with Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, highlighting the cultural and academic urgency of the matter.
The organisations had earlier expressed disappointment over the Ministry’s rejection of their proposal in a letter dated December 20, 2024.
In his representation, Subba argued that these tribal languages are already taught in CBSE schools up to Class 10, and discontinuing them at the senior secondary level disrupts academic continuity and threatens cultural preservation.
He also stressed that the demand is in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for multilingual education and the promotion of regional languages.
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According to the proposal, introducing these languages at the higher secondary level would not require additional infrastructure or examination days, as students would simply select from the existing second language options.
Subba further pointed out that this step would reinforce the government’s commitment to inclusive education and the constitutional safeguards under Article 29, which ensures the protection of minority interests.
He urged the Ministry to direct CBSE to implement the inclusion of these languages starting from the 2025–26 academic session.
