Allow students to write exams in mother tongue, UGC tells varsities

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all the varsities to allow students to write the exams in mother tongue or local languages even if the course is offered in English medium.

The Commission has also suggested universities in India to promote translation of original writing in local languages as well as emphasise the use local language in the teaching-learning process.

“Once teaching, learning, and assessment are done in the local languages, students engagement will gradually increase, leading to an increase in success rate,” UGC Chairman Professor M Jagadesh Kumar told in a letter addressed to Vice Chancellors of the universities across India.

Teaching in mother tongue “will significantly strengthen the efforts of achieving the envisioned target of enhancing the GER [Gross Enrolment Ratio> in higher education from 27 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035,” Prof. Kumar said.

In order to strategise the initiatives, the UGC has asked universities to provide information, that includes:

- List of textbooks/reference book/study material available /used in the local languages in the institution/university

- List of the main topics/courses for which textbooks/reference books/study materials must be written/translated into local languages

- Availability of faculties/subject experts/scholars who can write or translate textbooks/reference books/study materials in local languages in institution/university

- Availability of local publishers for printing textbooks in local languages

- Discuss success story/plan on bringing study material in local languages

- Whether the students can write answers in local languages in exams.

One of the crucial area of in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is promotion and regular use of Indian languages in education. The policy also gives special emphasis on the importance of teaching and instruction in mother tongue/local languages.

The chairman of UGC is his letter to universities also said that teaching-learning process in local languages has benefitted students, particularly the socially and economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs).

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