BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 9th January 2024: Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha said that the state government would write to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) with a request to permit students to write Kokborok papers in the Roman script. The assurance came in response to Leader of Opposition Animesh Debbarma’s inquiry about the government’s stance on introducing the Roman script for Kokborok, during the Zero Hour in the assembly today.
An issue has arisen for approximately 5,000 students who studied in various English medium schools, as they face challenges in CBSE examinations due to not having learned Bengali, as pointed out by Debbarma. Dr Saha, who also holds the education portfolio, informed the assembly that a three-member committee led by former MLA Atul Debbarma has been formed to investigate the matter of selecting a script for Kokborok. He emphasized that a decision on the script will be made after the committee submits its findings, mentioning the lack of books in Roman script and a shortage of trained teachers for preparing questions and evaluating answers in that script.
Despite the Chief Minister’s response, the opposition leader expressed dissatisfaction, asserting that the CBSE examinations, scheduled to commence on February 15 this year, cannot wait for the committee’s report. Urging the Chief Minister to take prompt action, he requested the government to write to the CBSE, seeking permission for students to use the Roman script for Kokborok. In response, Chief Minister Saha assured the assembly that the government would indeed write to the CBSE, formally requesting permission for Kokborok students to write their answers in the Roman script.
