Compulsory Hindi in schools: President modifies panel recommendation

The President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected a parliamentary panel’s recommendation for making Hindi education compulsory upto class X in “all schools” across the country.

He, however, accepted “in principal” the committee’s recommendation for making Hindi a compulsory subject upto Class X in central government run schools and those affiliated to the central board of secondary education (CBSE).

India has more than 14 lakh schools in the country while the schools affiliated to the CBSE are just a little over 18000.

In its recommendation, the Committee of Parliament on Official Language wanted the Government to bring a proposal in Parliament for making “Hindi education compulsory up to Class X.”

“This recommendation is accepted with modification that Hindi subject be made compulsory up to class tenth in Region A,” the President stated in his order on the recommendation of the Parliamentary panel.

According to the official languages rules, the region ‘A” includes States of Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as well as the Union Territories of Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands only.

“The Union Government should formulate a policy after consultations with the State Governments,” The President added.

In another proposal, the committee sought that the HRD Ministry should make Hindi a compulsory subject upto tenth standard in all schools of CBSE and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

“This recommendation is accepted in principle. Union Government should form a policy in consultation with State Governments,” the President said in his order.