PM Modi backs technical education in mother tongue

Technical education in mother tongues may soon become a reality in some higher education institutions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed support for the idea, saying it required “deeper consideration” to give impetus to youth-led development of the country.

“Manju’s point on imparting technical education in local languages merits deeper consideration. It will give impetus to youth-led development,” Modi said in one of his tweets. He, however, did not share any details about Manju. The prime minister was referring to suggestions that he had received from people on the issue of brining reforms in education and skill development on the Narendra Modi Android-based mobile application.

The suggestion came from one Manju Mysore at one of the discussion forums on ‘Narendra Modi’.

“Higher Technical Education to be taught in local language alike European countries. This will help to reduce alike shortage of skilled ppl (sic) and bring more innovations to country,” her post read. Use of mother tongue in teaching at various levels of education has been a long-standing demand from different sections of the society with Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar having batted for it in the past.

Bharatiya Sikshan Mandal (BSM)—a RSS affiliate—had demanded a few months ago compulsory teaching in mother tongue in schools, saying English language should not be imposed on students in higher educational students and they must be allowed to pursue engineering and medical courses in their mother tongue.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe welcomed the suggestion for imparting technical education to students in engineering colleges in their mother tongue, saying it will benefit those hailing from rural areas.

“We have not barred any institution from imparting technical education in mother tongue. It is nowhere mentioned in our handbook of approval process. In fact I recall that one the professors I saw in past had done engineering in Urdu. Anna University, if I am not wrong, offers two engineering courses in Tamil,” he told Deccan Herald.

The AICTE chief, however, suggested that implementation of suggestion to start teaching in technical institutes in mother tongue in “wider scale” would require “people” from academia to extend their support in preparation of teaching-learning material and a robust strategy.