Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu emphasises mother tongue in school education

HYDERABAD: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday stressed using the mother tongue in foundational education and called upon State governments to implement the National Education Policy 2020 in letter and spirit. Addressing a gathering after presenting the C Narayana Reddy National Literary Award to Odia writer Pratibha Ray here.

Naidu recalled the “invaluable contribution” of C Narayana Reddy to the Telugu language and literature and said that his writings have mesmerised the Telugu people. Referring to Reddy’s epic work 'Vishwambhara' which earned him the Jnanpith Award, Naidu said it describes beautifully the intricate relationship between man and nature.

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Naidu further said that as a parliamentarian, Reddy gave many constructive suggestions in Rajya Sabha, and passionately strove for the use of mother tongue in education. A prolific writer in Odia language, Ray’s novels and short stories are widely acclaimed and touch upon important social issues. She was the recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 2011, Padma Shri in 2007 and the Padma Bhushan in 2022, it added.