▲ On-site of the 1st Korean Language and Culture Quiz Contest for Indian Elementary and Secondary Students

[Korea Education Newspaper] The Ministry of Education announced that it held the '1st Korean Language and Culture Quiz Contest for Indian Elementary and Secondary Students (K-Quiz India 2026),' hosted by the Korean Education Center in India (opened in January 2026), on May 26 (local time). Fifty representative students from 12 schools selected out of 43 schools in India that operate Korean language classes participated in the quiz contest.

The three schools that won prizes in this quiz competition (Arwachin Bharti Senior Secondary School, Vidya Bharati School, and Katha Lab School) will receive Korean books and Korean cultural teaching aids donated by the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education. Through the Ministry of Education's 'Project to Promote International Exchange Based on Korean Language Education,' the Gwangju Office of Education has been actively promoting international cooperation projects, such as joint online classes, in conjunction with the Korean Education Center in India starting this year.

As of 2025, approximately 2,000 people in India are learning Korean at 43 regular schools. The Korea-India Joint Declaration, announced on the occasion of the Korea-India Summit on Monday, April 20, included directions for expanding Korean language education in India.

The Ministry of Education plans to actively promote the revitalization of Korean language education in India, centering on the Korean Education Center in India, through initiatives such as operating pilot schools for the regular curriculum and training local Korean language teachers. The five middle and high schools designated as pilot schools will adopt Korean language classes, previously offered as after-school or experiential programs, as regular subjects. In addition, the Ministry plans to train approximately 20 Indian Korean language teachers by operating a teacher training program in cooperation with local universities.

Lee Nan-young, Director General for International Education Planning at the Ministry of Education, stated, “Students’ voluntary motivation is crucial for learning foreign languages, including Korean,” and added, “We will continue to expand overseas Korean language education, which serves as the foundation of K-Edu, through mutual cooperation between Korean Education Centers and provincial/city offices of education so that students can maintain their interest in learning Korean.”

[News Source: Ministry of Education]