New Delhi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has urged Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi to ensure that textbooks, reference materials, teacher guides and digital educational resources prepared in the Santali language are published exclusively in Ol Chiki script, which is used for writing Santali.
Das met Joshi in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking the Union Education Ministry’s intervention on the issue. According to Das, the Ministry is engaged in the preparation and publication of various textbooks and educational materials and there is consideration of preparing Santali-language books in the Devanagari script.
Das requested the Education Minister to issue clear directions to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and all institutions under the Ministry of Education to ensure that Santali educational materials are prepared and published only in Ol Chiki script.
Das highlights Ol Chiki’s growing recognition
Das emphasised the historical and contemporary significance of Ol Chiki and referred to 2025 as the centenary year of the script, which was celebrated across the country.
He also referred to the national-level centenary celebration organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. A function was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 25, 2025, during which the translated version of the Constitution of India in Santali (in the Ol Chiki script) was released. Das emphasized that the release was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu.
Das further pointed to the use of Ol Chiki in national public communication. He noted that on the occasion of Hul Diwas on June 30, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared messages to the nation on X in the Ol Chiki script.
He also recalled the constitutional recognition of Santali during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when Santali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Das stressed that Santali has its own independent, scientific and widely accepted script called Ol Chiki.
आज नई दिल्ली में देश के माननीय शिक्षा मंत्री श्री @joshipralhad जी से मुलाकात कर संताली भाषा की लिपि “ओलचिकी लिपि” में पठन सामग्रियों के प्रकाशन हेतु आग्रह करते हुए एक ज्ञापन सौंपा।
मैंने मंत्री जी को बताया कि भारत के शिक्षा मंत्रालय के द्वारा विभिन्न पाठ्य पुस्तकों एवं शैक्षणिक… pic.twitter.com/OGSkJpIcEw
— Raghubar Das (@dasraghubar) September 9, 2026
Use of Ol Chiki in Jharkhand and government institutions
Das cited several examples of the use of Ol Chiki in public institutions and official communication.
He said that during the tenure of the BJP-led government in Jharkhand under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nameplates of railway stations in Santal-majority areas were written in Ol Chiki. He also said that the names of government offices in Santal-majority areas were written in the Santali language using the Ol Chiki script.
Das highlighted the Sahitya Akademi Award is also being given in Santali using Ol Chiki. He further claimed that the websites of central government departments that are available in Santali using Ol Chiki script.
Das said the Ol Chiki script is widely used across Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam and several other states. It is used in neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh as well.
Demand for exclusive use of Ol Chiki in educational resources
Based on these developments, Das urged the Education Minister to ensure that all Santali-language educational resources under the Ministry of Education use Ol Chiki exclusively.
He specifically mentioned textbooks, reference materials, teacher guides and digital resources and said such a move would provide support to the linguistic identity of Santali-speaking communities.
Das said his discussion with Joshi on the issue was positive.
Education Minister responds
Joshi also posted about the meeting on X. He described his interaction with Das as cordial and said that they discussed strengthening education in Jharkhand’s tribal belt.
The Union Education Minister said they also discussed avenues to expand educational opportunities and foster development across the state.
Had a cordial interaction with Shri @dasraghubar ji, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand. We discussed strengthening education in Jharkhand’s tribal belt and exploring avenues to expand educational opportunities and foster development across the State. pic.twitter.com/eGpoTaCFVg
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) September 9, 2026
While Joshi’s post referred to the broader issue of education and development in Jharkhand’s tribal areas and not emphasized on Ol Chiki script, Das’s post focused particularly on the use of Ol Chiki script in Santali educational materials.
The meeting has brought renewed attention to the role of Ol Chiki in Santali-language education, alongside the broader need to strengthen educational opportunities in Jharkhand’s tribal regions.
