AICTE creating database to promote higher education in regional languages: PM Modi

It will help students from rural, low-income families and prevent language-based discrimination, he says

The All India Council of Technical Education is creating a database of resources to allow colleges to offer more programmes in regional languages and developed a tool to translate engineering content into 11 languages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. He was speaking at an event to mark the first anniversary of the National Education Policy, 2020, which placed a strong emphasis on education in the mother tongue.

Although there has been little progress on one of the NEP’s most controversial recommendations to teach all children in their mother tongue or home language until Class 5, the first steps have been taken to promote regional languages in technical education. “I am glad that 14 engineering colleges in eight States are going to start engineering studies in five Indian languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bangla,” said Mr. Modi.

Teaching in regional languages will offer access to higher education for students from rural, low-income families who are capable of learning, but not fluent in English, said the Prime Minister, adding that this would help prevent language-based discrimination.

Sign Language as regular subject

He also announced the launch of Indian Sign Language as a regular language subject in secondary schools, promoting inclusivity for speech and hearing-impaired students.

As reported earlier, the PM rolled out several other NEP initiatives such as an academic credit bank and a three-month play module to prepare children to enter Class 1.

Mr. Modi emphasised that the NEP was a key component of nation building, and a future-oriented exercise preparing today’s youth to help build tomorrow’s India. A four-hour training programme on artificial intelligence developed by the Central Board of Secondary Education and Intel India would also contribute to a digital-driven economy, he said. The programme aims to introduce artificial intelligence to 10 lakh people in its first year, and is available in 11 languages.

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