Students show Mandarin language learning skills at a DIET-organized workshop in Pauri Garhwal district. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The one-year Mandarin language course for beginners is aimed at empowering students under the Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India, or PM SHRI, initiative, a federal government-sponsored program aimed at equipping students with language skills to access global job markets, as a part of vocational training education.

The program runs under Doon University's Community Outreach Initiative, which is located in Dehradun, the state capital of Uttarakhand, which allows final-year Chinese studies students to teach in government schools as part of their skill development and National Education Policy-mandated practical training. It serves a dual purpose by providing real-world teaching experience and also skill enhancement for university students.

"This is the first time in India that Mandarin is being taught in government schools under such an initiative," said Professor Shanky Chandra, head of the Department of Chinese Studies at Doon University.

The program began in 2022 as a small pilot project under the District Institute of Education and Training, or DIET, and has now entered its third rollout, with enthusiasm growing all the time among students and teachers.

A remarkable achievement of the students this year is the participation of three students from the government schools in the prestigious Chinese Bridge Competition, an international Chinese language proficiency contest, which was recently held in Kolkata, an eastern Indian city.

"In India, private schools or elite institutions usually dominate this language competition. Our students, from economically weaker backgrounds, rural Uttarakhand, with minimal resources, stood on that stage and competed with confidence," Chandra added.

In April, DIET organized a workshop at Chari Gaon village of the district, featuring competitions in the Chinese language, calligraphy, speech, and cultural understanding. Students from 11 government schools presented outstanding performances at the workshop.

"What surprised us as university professors was the level of proficiency these students achieved, despite limited resources and connectivity issues in these hilly regions," Chandra said. "Their tones, pronunciation, and writing skills were at par with students from elite private schools across India."