UGC Pushes for Mother Tongue Courses in All Higher Institutions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities and higher educational institutions to introduce courses in regional or mother tongues. The directive was issued through an official letter dated January 27.

The letter stated that the initiative to launch courses in mother tongues would begin between February and March 2024, in collaboration with the Indian Language Committee for teacher training. To facilitate this, the UGC has instructed all institutions to nominate one faculty member to be trained as a master trainer, who will then be responsible for training other teachers within their institution.

According to the UGC, the initiative is expected to boost the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education, which currently stands at around 25 per cent. Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the goal is to raise the GER to 50 per cent by 2035. The letter noted that a significant number of students are unable to pursue higher education due to language barriers, and offering courses in local languages aims to address this challenge.

The UGC has urged all higher educational institutions to review and ensure the quality of study materials prepared in local or mother tongues, so that students can grasp the subjects effectively.

“Language will no longer be a barrier for students. This initiative will enable them to study various subjects in their mother tongue,” said Prof. Madhavi Das, a senior educationist from Pune.

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