In a push to provide international quality education in the Marathi language, the Maharashtra International Education Board was established on Tuesday (25 December), with an affiliation of 13 schools, reports The Indian Express.

Launched on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, each school coming under the board will be called ‘Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International School’.

The 13 initial schools affiliated with the board are spread across the districts of Buldhana, Washim, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Thane, Sindhudurg, Chandrapur, Gondia, Nandurbar, Nashik, Kolhapur, Pune and Satara. The next step in the works is to expand the board to cover 100 schools next year.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar commended the initiative as something which is not imported from outside but can be exported internationally. He called the programme a continuation of Vajpayee’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

The board’s international curriculum will mean the students will be taught about the outside world, along with their own local subjects.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also lauded the move, stating,“With the formation of the board, we are entering into a new era. It is a true tribute to Vajpayee. The schools’ names will remain the same but the education pattern shall be named after Vajpayee.”

The schools affiliated to the board will also have an emphasis on improving the English language skills of their pupils. Moreover, the new board’s syllabus will include certain aspects of Sanskrit as well.

Prominent scientists like Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, Dr Vijay Bhatkar and Dr Anil Kakodkar, along with Educationists such as Sonam Wangchuk and Dr Swarup Sampat will be members of the regulatory body of the international board.

Maharashtra International Education Board

Get Swarajya in your inbox.