BHUBANESWAR: Only 1.7 percent of the total registered candidates for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) (undergraduate)-2023 have chosen Odia language as their medium this year. It was around 2.1 percent last year.
Compared to some other regional languages like Gujarati, Bengali and Tamil, the number of candidates opting Odia is very less. Experts said lack of education materials in Odia language and medium of teaching in English are the reasons behind this.
Sonamali Bag, former director of medical education and training (DMET), Odisha, said it is difficult to appear for the medical entrance examination in Odia language. “Because candidates are used to reading books on different science subjects in English, they cannot translate many terminologies from English to Odia,” he added.
He further said that regional language cannot be used as a medium of instructions in medical colleges because it is impossible to translate medical terminologies. “We need books in Odia language which are very difficult to find,” he added.
Subrat Kumar Prusty, member secretary of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research (IOSR), said all educational boards including council of higher secondary education (CHSE), Odisha, use English as medium of instruction in Classes XI and XII. “How can the students opt for Odia after completing the two-year science stream in English medium,” he added.
He said the state government is not providing any coaching facilities to Odia medium students before appearing for NEET. “We do not have trained teachers to teach Plus II science students in Odia. We do not have enough books in Odia for these students so that they can get used to appearing for entrance examinations in Odia language,” he added.
Santosh Behera, a candidate from Ganjam, said he could not opt for Odia because his medium of instruction was English in Classes XI and XII. “As we have learned science subjects in English, it will be difficult to appear for the NEET in Odia. Though I am from Odia medium school, we are used to English in Class XII,” he added.
Bibhuti Sahu, a student from the city, said he does not know the meaning of English terminologies in Odia. “Our medium of instruction from Class I to Class X was Odia. But it is changed to English in Classes XI and XII. We got used to English and it forced us to opt for the English language in NEET,” he added.
Compared to some other regional languages like Gujarati, Bengali and Tamil, the number of candidates opting Odia is very less. Experts said lack of education materials in Odia language and medium of teaching in English are the reasons behind this.
Sonamali Bag, former director of medical education and training (DMET), Odisha, said it is difficult to appear for the medical entrance examination in Odia language. “Because candidates are used to reading books on different science subjects in English, they cannot translate many terminologies from English to Odia,” he added.
He further said that regional language cannot be used as a medium of instructions in medical colleges because it is impossible to translate medical terminologies. “We need books in Odia language which are very difficult to find,” he added.
Subrat Kumar Prusty, member secretary of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research (IOSR), said all educational boards including council of higher secondary education (CHSE), Odisha, use English as medium of instruction in Classes XI and XII. “How can the students opt for Odia after completing the two-year science stream in English medium,” he added.
He said the state government is not providing any coaching facilities to Odia medium students before appearing for NEET. “We do not have trained teachers to teach Plus II science students in Odia. We do not have enough books in Odia for these students so that they can get used to appearing for entrance examinations in Odia language,” he added.
Santosh Behera, a candidate from Ganjam, said he could not opt for Odia because his medium of instruction was English in Classes XI and XII. “As we have learned science subjects in English, it will be difficult to appear for the NEET in Odia. Though I am from Odia medium school, we are used to English in Class XII,” he added.
Bibhuti Sahu, a student from the city, said he does not know the meaning of English terminologies in Odia. “Our medium of instruction from Class I to Class X was Odia. But it is changed to English in Classes XI and XII. We got used to English and it forced us to opt for the English language in NEET,” he added.
