: The State Government has directed to supply free textbooks to the schools managed by the Bharatiya Siksha Vikash Sansthan, official sources said. School and Mass Education Secretary Ranjana Chopra has written to the Textbook Bureau of Publication & Marketing to supply free books to students of Classes-I to VIII studying in the Sishu Mandir managed by the educational charitable trust.
“The Bharatiya Siksha Vikash Sansthan is admitting students of different castes, creeds and religions on poverty-cum-merit basis and imparting education in Odia medium. The Government has been pleased to decide that free textbooks will also be provided to students of Classes-I to VIII of recognised schools managed by the Sansthan, Odisha for the time being to promote teaching of Odia and also to ensure quality education,” Chopra wrote.School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra informed this to the media.Notably, there are as many as 1,037 Saraswati Sishu Mandir schools in the State and an estimated 2 lakh students are likely to be benefited from this move.