Giriraj Singh Shares PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat Praise for Kerala Sanskrit-Football Project
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh amplified PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat praise for Kerala's 'Aksharakandukam' initiative, where school children learn Sanskrit through football — a model that aligns with the National Education Policy 2020's push for experiential classical-language learning.
Key Takeaways
Giriraj Singh shared the story on 27 July 2026 , amplifying national attention on a Kerala school Sanskrit-football project.
PM Narendra Modi praised the initiative — referred to as Aksharakandukam — in a recent episode of his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme.
The project teaches Sanskrit to school children in Kerala through football gameplay, blending classical language learning with sport.
The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly supports Sanskrit promotion and activity-based, experiential learning in schools.
Mann Ki Baat has been a platform since October 2014 for the Prime Minister to spotlight grassroots state-level innovations.
The initiative signals potential for replication of sport-integrated classical-language models across other Indian states.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday, 27 July 2026, shared a post highlighting how children in Kerala are learning Sanskrit while playing football — an initiative that Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address.
Context
The post, shared by the senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai, draws attention to a Kerala school project — referred to as Aksharakandukam (roughly, 'alphabet ball') — that integrates Sanskrit learning with football gameplay. PM Modi spotlighted the initiative in a recent episode of Mann Ki Baat, his long-running monthly radio programme, calling it a commendable grassroots effort to revive classical language education through sport.
The minister's amplification of the post underscores a broader pattern among Union government leaders of using social media to highlight state-level educational experiments praised on the Prime Minister's platform.
Policy Backdrop
Mann Ki Baat was launched in October 2014 as a direct-to-citizen radio address, and has since served as a recurring vehicle for the Prime Minister to spotlight grassroots and state-level innovations across governance, culture, and education. Kerala, despite its distinct political landscape, has frequently featured in such national spotlights for its high literacy rates and experimental school programmes.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, approved in July 2020, explicitly encourages the strengthening of Sanskrit and other classical languages within the school curriculum, while promoting activity-based and experiential learning methods. A project that fuses Sanskrit instruction with a globally popular sport like football aligns directly with the NEP's vision of multilingual, flexible pedagogy.
Stakeholders and Impact
The primary beneficiaries are Kerala school students and classical-language teachers who stand to gain wider visibility and institutional support from national-level recognition. For Sanskrit educators, a Prime Ministerial mention on Mann Ki Baat can translate into greater community interest and potential replication of the model in other states.
The initiative also carries symbolic weight: it demonstrates that Sanskrit promotion need not be confined to traditional rote-learning environments, and that a state not governed by the BJP can generate ideas that resonate with Union government priorities on classical language revival.
What's Next
Educationists and state governments will likely watch whether the Aksharakandukam model inspires similar activity-based language projects elsewhere in the country. Any formal Ministry of Education or Ministry of Textiles follow-through — such as funding or a national rollout framework — would mark a significant escalation from symbolic appreciation to policy action.
With NEP 2020 implementation still uneven across states, Prime Ministerial praise for Kerala's experiment could add momentum to calls for integrating classical language teaching with sports and arts in school timetables nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kerala Sanskrit football project praised by PM Modi?
It is a school-level initiative in Kerala, referred to as 'Aksharakandukam', where children learn Sanskrit vocabulary and concepts through football gameplay, blending sport with classical language instruction.
What is Mann Ki Baat and why does it matter for education?
Mann Ki Baat is a monthly radio programme launched by PM Narendra Modi in October 2014 to highlight positive citizen and state-level stories; a mention on the programme brings significant national visibility to grassroots initiatives like this Kerala project.
What does NEP 2020 say about Sanskrit education?
The National Education Policy approved in July 2020 explicitly calls for strengthening Sanskrit and other classical languages in schools, while encouraging flexible, activity-based and experiential learning methods.
Why did Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh share this education story?
As a senior BJP leader, Giriraj Singh regularly amplifies Prime Ministerial messaging on social media; sharing PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat praise for the Kerala project extends its reach to his own follower base and reinforces the government's classical-language revival narrative.
Can the Kerala Sanskrit-football model be replicated in other states?
Educationists say the activity-based model is adaptable, and national recognition through Mann Ki Baat could encourage other state governments to pilot similar sport-integrated classical-language programmes under the NEP 2020 framework.
