Around 20 government schools in Pauri Garhwal district in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand are teaching their students, most of whom are below the poverty line, Mandarin.

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

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

"This is the first time in India that Mandarin is being taught in government schools under such an initiative," said 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 among students and teachers.

"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.

Every school day, Class XII student Tanu Rawat travels around 4 kilometers by bicycle to reach her school in a remote village.

The 18-year-old daughter of an agricultural laborer believes learning Mandarin will bring her new opportunities. She hopes to pursue higher-level studies in the Chinese language and literature, and become a Mandarin teacher.

Apart from learning Mandarin, she also reads a lot about China, which is India's immediate neighbor and one of the leading economies in the world, Rawat said.

"I should not miss this opportunity to learn it as our school is conducting a one-year Mandarin language course free of cost and providing books and other study materials free of cost as well," she said.

Rawat studies at a government-run school, surrounded by lush green foothills. Around 43 students in Class XII at the school are learning Mandarin.

Bhawna, another Class XII student, thinks it could be a bonanza for her because it could help her find a good job, not necessarily in India but internationally.

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.

Local people stand to benefit from building language capacity. Beyond diplomacy, the practical benefits of Mandarin proficiency extend to tourism, hospitality, yoga, and international trade, he said.

Learning Mandarin will significantly improve job prospects, as China is one of India's largest trade partners, Chandra added. The students can also act as a cultural and linguistic bridge between India and China, fostering mutual understanding, Chandra said.

Praising the efforts of the program, Doon University Vice-Chancellor Surekha Dangwal said if any student from economically weaker backgrounds wants to pursue higher studies in the Chinese language and literature, the university is ready to extend help under its scholarship program.

"The initiative has the potential to expand," Dangwal said. The success in Pauri Garhwal district can serve as a model for other districts and states aiming to combine education with global skills, Chandra added.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.