In a groundbreaking move to enhance linguistic diversity and accessibility in higher education, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is gearing up to introduce courses in local or mother tongue languages across universities and higher educational institutions nationwide.
As part of this transformative initiative, the UGC has issued directives to all higher educational institutions, emphasizing the need for special faculty training in local languages. In a recent letter addressed to universities, the UGC outlined plans to roll out the program in February-March, collaborating with the Indian Language Committee to provide training for teachers to conduct classes in the mother tongue.
The UGC has called on institutions to designate one teacher each for training as master trainers. These master trainers will subsequently be tasked with training other teachers within their respective institutions. Recognizing the pivotal role of teacher preparedness, the UGC stressed that the success of teaching through the mother tongue hinges on the readiness of educators.
This innovative initiative aims to boost the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education, which currently stands at around 25 percent. The new National Education Policy envisions raising this figure to 50 percent by 2035. A significant barrier for many students in pursuing higher education is that their earlier education was conducted in their mother tongue or local language. Consequently, the courses they aspire to pursue are often not offered in these languages, as mentioned in the UGC’s letter.
The UGC has advised all higher educational institutions to meticulously review study materials prepared in local or mother tongue languages to ensure effective comprehension by students. Additionally, the UGC has committed to organizing training sessions for teachers to enhance their proficiency in local languages, enabling them to deliver course content more effectively to students.
