The Odisha government has announced the appointment of ‘sevikas’ in all sishu vatikas across the state to enhance pre-primary education and ease the non-teaching workload of school teachers.

Approved by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the move aims to improve classroom support and childcare for children aged 5 to 6 years. These sishu vatikas, launched under the National Education Policy (NEP) in the current academic year, are operational in over 45,000 government primary schools.

The sevikas will assist children with basic needs and classroom activities, allowing teachers to focus more on pedagogy. They will receive remuneration equivalent to that of Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme cooks.

A recent government study found that teachers were overburdened with childcare responsibilities, negatively affecting the teaching process. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the initiative would significantly enhance the quality of early education in the state.