Jaipur, Dec 5 (IANS): Rajasthan Secretary of the School Education Department Krishna Kunal on Thursday chaired a meeting to discuss granting the Rajasthani language the status of a state language.

During the meeting, scholars unanimously advocated for defining Rajasthani as a language that encompasses all dialects spoken within Rajasthan while emphasising that Rajasthani does not oppose or exclude any dialect.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provisions were also discussed, highlighting the need to provide primary education to children in their mother tongue.

An official said that efforts are being made by the Rajasthan government to implement this policy at the earliest, with a focus on promoting Rajasthani at the grassroots level.

"In line with the vision of Education Minister Madan Dilawar, the government is dedicated to the preservation and growth of the Rajasthani language. All necessary steps will be taken to achieve this goal," said Secretary Krishna Kunal.

Prominent scholars present in the meeting included Omkar Singh Lakhawat, Govind Shankar Sharma, Kalyan Singh Shekhawat, Pramod Sharma, and Deepika Vijayvargiya, among others.

Lakhawat proposed creating a dedicated panorama of Rajasthani and Braj languages and stressed the need to act on standard suggestions for the language's growth.

He called for collective efforts to ensure Rajasthani’s prosperity.

The scholars highlighted the richness and extensiveness of the Rajasthani language dictionary, claiming it to be unparalleled. They argued that granting Rajasthani official language status and incorporating it as a medium of education would naturally make it popular among younger generations. However, they warned that without integrating Rajasthani into teaching and textbooks, its preservation and expansion might remain a challenge.

Officials briefed the gathering on various steps taken by the education department to support Rajasthani language development. These include incorporating Rajasthani language and literature in the NTT examination, publishing literature in local dialects at the district level and procuring Rajasthani language books under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and distributing them to students.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to prioritise the promotion and recognition of the Rajasthani language as a key cultural and educational initiative.