The Odisha government has announced that Physical Education will be introduced as a dedicated subject in the school curriculum for students from Classes 3 to 8 starting from the next academic year. The announcement was made in the Odisha Assembly by School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond on Friday.

The Minister stated that the initiative follows the guidelines of the National Education Policy 2020, which highlights the importance of holistic development among students by integrating physical fitness with academic learning. The move is expected to help students maintain a balanced lifestyle that supports both educational and physical growth.

As part of the programme, students will participate in yoga and pranayama sessions every Saturday morning from 6.30 am to 7.30 am. The state government will also provide physical education and fitness books to students to support the new subject and encourage healthy habits from an early age.

Nityananda Gond also reiterated that value based education continues to remain a major priority for the state government. Along with the introduction of physical education, efforts are being made to modernise teaching methods in schools through digital classrooms and e content to improve the overall learning experience.

Responding to another query raised by Simulia MLA Padma Lochan Panda, the Minister informed the Assembly that there are currently 1829 vacant teaching posts in Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya schools across the state. To ensure that the learning process of students is not affected, the government has engaged 1170 guest teachers in these institutions.

The Minister also provided data on the condition of school infrastructure in primary schools across the state. According to him, there are 1763 dilapidated classrooms in primary schools in Odisha. The districts with the highest number of such classrooms include Sambalpur with 175 classrooms, Mayurbhanj with 122, Sonepur with 107, Cuttack with 104, Kalahandi with 101, Ganjam with 100, Balasore with 95, Keonjhar with 94 and Kendrapada with 90 dilapidated classrooms.

Replying to a question raised by MLA Souvic Biswal, Gond noted that the government is aware of the infrastructure gaps and continues to work towards improving school facilities while also strengthening teaching resources across the state. The introduction of physical education in schools is part of the broader effort to ensure the all round development and well being of students in Odisha.