Ol Chiki script ‘powerful symbol’ of Santhali identity: President Murmu

President Drouapdi Murmu on Monday said that efforts should be made to preserve and promote the Ol Chiki script of Santhali language. Addressing the centenary celebrations of Ol Chiki script in New Delhi, President Murmu said, it is a powerful introduction to the Santhali community. She said, it also serves as a means of establishing unity within the Santhali community. The President said that the Ol Chiki script is expanding not only in the country but also worldwide. She praised the central government’s decision to conduct the UPSC exam in Ol Chiki script. President Murmu said that like other Indian languages, the Sahitya Akademi is also awarding Santhali writers. She said, this honor is very important for the Santhali language. 

अलचिकि संताल समुदाय का एक सशक्त परिचय है। विश्वभर में संतालों की पहचान अलचिकि से हो रही है। यह संताल समुदाय के लोगों के बीच एकता स्थापित करने का एक प्रभावी माध्यम भी है। pic.twitter.com/vKn9q1RNHh

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 16, 2026

The government also released a commemorative coin and commemorative postage stamp to mark 100 years of the Ol Chiki script. Ol Chiki script was developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu specifically for the Santhali language, which was later included in the Constitution of India’s Eighth Schedule in 2003. The script consists of 30 letters designed to accurately represent Santhali phonetics. The Ol Chiki is the official script of the Santhali language, one of India’s prominent tribal languages spoken widely across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar.