Feb. 15: Bodoland has opened its heart to teachers, researchers and graduates from across the east.

A group of 13 members from Assam, Manipur, West Bengal and Orissa is on a two-week tour of the Bodo Territorial Council-administered districts to study Bodo history, language, culture and the environment.

The study tour started on February 4 and will continue till February 18.

The study group is part of the North Eastern Regional Language Centre, Guwahati, which operates under the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore.

The institute imparts training in languages such as Bodo, Assamese, Nepali and Manipuri to teachers, research scholars and fresh graduates from various states.

Nijwm Narzary, who is teaching Bodo language to the group members, said: “The trainees are getting a good exposure to Bodo culture, history and culture.

Their tour includes meetings with various socio-cultural organisations of the Bodo community,” said.

Members of the study group, including three women, are scheduled to visit various places in Kokrajhar and Udalguri.

Narzary said the participants have evinced interest in and learnt a lot about the culture and history of Bodos, one of the largest ethnic and linguistic groups of the Brahmaputra Valley.

The Central Institute of Indian Languages has five centres in Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Mysore, Patiala and Pune, which impart knowledge of 22 Indian languages.

The main objective of the institute is to provide support to all the states and Union Territories of the country in implementing the three-language formula to promote national integration throughmulti-lingual education.

Under the three-language formula, students learn any two languages other than the mother tongue.

The centres enrol teachers, research scholars and graduates deputed by state governments under the language education scheme.

They teach them an Indian language other than their mother tongue and train them to teach students in their respective schools.

The centres also help governmental and non-governmental agencies to plan curriculum, train teachers and prepare and evaluate textbooks.

Their other activities include translation, language-testing and preparation of material for learning and teaching of Indian languages at different levels for different sections of society.

They also undertake research related to theories and methods in teaching languages.

The centres conduct national and international seminars on themes related to education in languages.