Govt revises draft education policy, omits suggestion of mandatory Hindi in schools
The Centre on Monday dropped the contentious provision of mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, as it issued a revised draft education policy amid outrage over its earlier suggestion.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-06-03 11:52 GMT
Chennai
Tensions have mollified in Tamil Nadu after the modification of Kasturirangan committee's draft that insisted on a proposal to make Hindi mandatory as a third language.
The DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the three-language formula in the draft National Education Policy (NEP) and alleged that it was tantamount to thrusting the Hindi language on the non-Hindi speaking states.
After a huge uproar from Tamil Nadu against the Kasturirangan committee's draft, that is claimed to impose Hindi, there is a revision on that aspect of the committee.
"Students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages (one language at the literature level) in their modular Board Examinations some time during secondary school," the revised draft of the NEP said.
The first draft of the Kasturirangan committee that was submitted last Friday created a lot of fracas in the Tamil political circle. The draft mentioned that students ought to be taught Hindi as third language from class 6 to 9.
"Students who wish to change one of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6, so long as the study of three languages by students in the Hindi-speaking states would continue to include Hindi and English and one of the modern Indian languages from other parts of India, while the study of languages by students in the non-Hindi-speaking states would include the regional language, Hindi and English," the draft policy had earlier said.
Tamil cabinet ministers through their Tamil tweets tried to allay the tensions that it was just a draft and not a law. But, Dravidian parties like DMK, MDMK were not placated.
The PMK, an ally of the BJP, had also alleged that the recommendation was imposition of Hindi and wanted the scrapping of the proposal.
"It was a draft report and not a policy yet. We have sought feedback from various stakeholders. The committee has modified the earlier draft and made some changes," a Human Resource Development Ministry official said.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar, who had the formed the panel when he was the HRD minister in the previous term, had earlier asserted that no language should be imposed on anyone. He clarified that the committee had only prepared a draft report and no decision had been taken on implementing it.
Following the unrelenting protests and threats of anti-Hindi protests on the lines of 1965, the draft National Education Policy 2019 has been been modified. The revision gives a choice in third language which also consists Hindi. According to the revised draft, the modular board examinations for language proficiency would test only basic proficiency in each language. "Such a change in language choice in Grade 6 would certainly be feasible if the student so desires and would in such cases be supported by teachers and the schooling system."
This modification received a lukewarm response in Tamil Nadu but major political parties of Tamil Nadu are still apologetic with the in practice two-language policy.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android