Odisha Protests Wrong Script in JHTET 2026 Odia Syllabus
Bhubaneswar, April 17: A major language row has erupted after the Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test (JHTET 2026) printed the Odia syllabus in Devanagari script instead of the native Odia script.
The move has sparked outrage among Odia-speaking communities and prompted intervention from the Odisha government.
The Language, Literature and Culture Department of Odisha termed the error “highly regretful” and urged the Jharkhand Academic Council to immediately correct and republish the syllabus in Odia script.
Officials stressed that Odia, recognized as a Scheduled Language and granted Classical Language status, must be represented in its authentic script to preserve cultural and linguistic heritage.
Community leaders, including Nandu Kumar Pandey, highlighted that the mistake could disadvantage Odia-speaking candidates.
They demanded inclusion of Odia prose and poetry, model question papers in Odia script, and fair evaluation standards.
The controversy underscores the importance of linguistic inclusivity in competitive examinations and the need to safeguard the identity of classical languages like Odia.
