In a significant move towards promoting education in Indian languages, the Indian government has issued directives to all schools and higher education institutions to make study material available digitally in Indian languages for every course within the next three years. The announcement aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes the development of high-quality educational institutions with the medium of instruction in local or Indian languages.
The Union Ministry of Education, in a statement on Friday, highlighted the government’s commitment to fostering multilingualism in education. The NEP 2020 envisions creating opportunities for students to study in their own languages, thereby improving learning outcomes. The directive mandates the provision of digital study material in Indian languages for all courses under school and higher education.
The order, issued by the education ministry, specifically targets education regulators such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council of Educational Research and Training, National Institute of Open Schooling, Indira Gandhi National Open University, and heads of Institutes of National Importance, Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institute Of Technology, and other Central Universities. These entities are tasked with ensuring the availability of study material in Indian languages within the stipulated three-year timeframe.
Additionally, the UGC, AICTE, and the Department of School Education have been instructed to collaborate on addressing the issue concerning state schools and universities.
The move is rooted in the NEP 2020’s recognition of India’s multilingual nature as a significant asset and strength. By promoting content creation in local languages, the government aims to harness this linguistic diversity for the socio-cultural, economic, and educational development of the nation.
The government has already made strides in this direction over the past two years, leveraging the Anuvadini AI-based App to translate Engineering, Medical, Law, Undergraduate, Post Graduate, and Skill books. These translated books are accessible on the e-kumbh portal. In the school education ecosystem, study material is available in over 30 languages on DIKSHA, and competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination, National Eligibility Entrance Test, and Common University Entrance Test are conducted in 13 Indian languages.
The latest directive reinforces the government’s commitment to inclusivity in education and reflects its ongoing efforts to empower students by providing learning materials in their native languages.
Sources By Agencies
