UGC To Universities: Allow Exams In Regional Languages Even If Course Is Taught In English

New Delhi: University students may soon be able to write exams in their regional language.

Even if the course is taught in English, University Grants Commission (UGC) wants universities to give students the choice to answer in local languages, arrange evaluators and encourage translation of textbooks.

The Commission has also directed universities to promote the use of local language in teaching and learning processes.

“Promotion and regular use of Indian languages in education is a crucial area of focus in the new National Education Policy (NEP). It emphasises the importance of teaching and instruction in the mother tongue and local languages,” said UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar.

“It also lays thrust on the need to optimise communication in all Indian languages for better cognitive attainment and the development of a holistic personality of the learners,” he added.

Noting that the academic ecosystem continues to be English medium-centric, Kumar said once the teaching, learning and assessment are done in local languages, student engagement will gradually increase, leading to an increase in the success rate.

“The Commission has requested the universities that students be allowed to write the answers in local languages in examinations even if the programme is offered in English medium, and promote translation of original writing in local languages and use local language in the teaching-learning process at universities,” he elaborated.

The idea is to let students write answers in a language through which they can express easily, said Kumar.

On how students writing in local languages will be evaluated, Kumar said: “This will be possible if the evaluators also know the local language and the university can make the effort to find the evaluators who know the local language.”