PATNA, May 26 -- Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to incorporate Maithili as a subject in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum from Class 1 to the secondary level from the current academic session (2026-27), describing it as a landmark step to embolden the cultural identity of Bihar's Mithila region. In a post on X, Choudhary said it was a proud moment for the state as Maithili is one of Bihar's most vibrant and literary-rich languages. "This decision, aimed at securing a strong place for Mithila's rich cultural heritage and its mother tongue Maithili in the education system, is historic and highly welcome," he wrote, calling it a matter of pride for the linguistic glory of the region. The CBSE's move allows Maithili to be offered as a mother tongue or elective subject at the secondary stage, in line with the National Education Policy 2020's emphasis on promoting regional languages. The board has made the curriculum available on its academic website, offering students in Maithili-speaking areas a chance to study their language formally. The CM thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose leadership, he said, Indian languages, cultures and traditions are receiving consistent encouragement and strengthening. He noted the decision not only gives Maithili recognition and respect, but also serves as a powerful medium to connect future generations with their mother tongue, culture and roots. For years, scholars and literary bodies and cultural institutions in Mithila had been asking for greater recognition of the language in mainstream education. The demand gained fresh momentum after Maithili's inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution as a scheduled language in 2003. The development follows active follow-up by Bihar's representatives. Academicians had argued that generations of students were drifting away from their linguistic roots due to dominance of Hindi and English in schools. Maithili language expert and treasurer of Patna's Maithili Sahitya Sangathan, Shiv Kumar Mishra, said, "Education through the mother tongue is more convenient and through this children can understand all subjects better." Many in Mithila belt- spanning Darbhanga, Madhubani and Saharsa- also long campaigned for classical language status for Maithili, citing its literary tradition dating back over a millennium, with rich contributions from poets like Vidyapati. While the Centre granted classical status to other languages in recent years, Maithili's bid continues to gather support in Bihar. Mishra thanked the Central government and said, "The inclusion of the Maithili language in the CBSE curriculum is a welcome decision." However, he noted that the demand for notifying Maithili as a classical language remains pending with the Government of India, adding that the Bihar government had sent a formal recommendation letter around one-and-a-half years ago. A letter from union minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary to Lok Sabha MP Gopal Jee Thakur, who represents the Darbhanga constituency in the Mithila heartland, confirms that the CBSE has formally integrated Maithili into its secondary curriculum after due process involving the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). In the letter, dated May 19, Chaudhary underscored how this fits into broader implementation of NEP 2020 which encourages the use of mother tongues, including scheduled languages like Maithili, up to Class 5 and beyond where feasible. Significantly, it was in 1953 when the Bihar government decided to impart education in schools through the mother tongue....