One of the features of the NEP that got lauded all over India was the introduction availability of regional language higher education courses. Even technical courses like engineering are being offered in regional languages, which is admirable. These factors are sure to improve the popularity of engineering courses in India even more, as the barrier for entry which till now was understanding and being comfortable with English, has now been removed. However, it should be noted that this is not the first time this initiative has been tried in India.

In the past, two universities in India, namely the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya and Anna University, had tried to introduce regional language courses for technical education such as engineering. The execution was, however, flawed because most of the reading material that was needed to study was still in English, which caused many problems for students. To counter this problem, AICTE is working on translating most content related to engineering study to regional languages. With that being said, let’s learn more about the current scenario about colleges offering courses in regional languages.

Why are colleges offering regional language courses?

Given that most people in India still get their education from state boards that offer regional language education, it creates a major problem for such students when they have to start college education in English. To help students that have completed their school-level education in regional languages, it is necessary to introduce college-level education in regional languages as well. It also helps them get an equal footing with students that have studied in English medium schools and takes away the unnecessary knowledge and opportunity divide that had been created by the lack of regional language learning opportunities at the college level. To erase the gap between students that study from regional languages and students that study in English, it is crucial that more and more opportunities are provided to students to allow learning in their native regional languages.

What is the current update on colleges offering courses in regional languages

According to 2021 reports, it has been noted that 14 colleges and universities around the country have appealed and have been granted permission to teach their curriculum in regional languages in India. The languages currently available for regional learning are Hindi, predominantly followed by Tamil, Telegu, Bengali, and Oriya. The 14 mentioned colleges and universities are to begin the regional language courses from the 2021-22 academic year.

The government has also announced that IITs and NITs will also follow suit and will be offering technical courses in regional languages very soon as well. Currently, some of the technical streams that are available for regional language studies are Computer science, electronics engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical, information technology, and civil engineering. These courses make up for a majority of engineering admissions, so having them available in regional languages will surely make engineering more popular in India and provide equal opportunity to all students from various educational backgrounds.

Final Thoughts

English education is a privilege in India that many cannot avail and afford; due to the evils of society, it has become a status symbol and a way for people to discriminate against others based on their language abilities. This has brought rise to a great divide, especially in education, where students from non-metropolitan cities struggle to keep up with students who have studied in English medium schools since childhood. This has caused a great divide in a new form of class division among the different factions of society and suppressed parts of the society immensely.

Introducing regional language education in India is the best and only way to break this divide and provide equal opportunities to students from all geographical locations and facets of life. So, if you want to join an organisation that promotes regional language education and plans on introducing their own regional language courses in the future, be sure to check out the Jodhpur Institute of Engineering and Technology.