Thiruvananthapuram/Hyderabad: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Telangana state minister K. T. Rama Rao have expressed their views against the recommendation of a Parliamentary panel to make Hindi the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical higher educational institutions.
Kerala CM on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention into the matter.
A Parliamentary committee has recently recommended that the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical higher education institutes such as IITs in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language. It said the use of English should be made optional.
Hindi cannot be imposed as main language: Vijayan
Vijayan, in a letter written to the PM, said Hindi cannot be imposed as the main language of instruction in the higher centres of learning as the country has many languages and a single language cannot be termed as the country’s language.
Noting that the youth of the country have limited job opportunities in the government sector, the CM said any attempt to put a substantial section of them at a relative disadvantage will not be in the best interest of the society.
“The job seekers and students of our country have their serious apprehensions in this regard. I take this opportunity to suggest that question papers for competitive exams for posts in Government of India may be given in all languages specified in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” Vijayan said in his letter.
While the younger generation should be encouraged to learn languages other than their mother tongue, any attempt which will be “even remotely perceived as imposition of a language” will give rise to apprehensions among people in general and job aspirants in particular.
“I request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to intervene at the earliest to take necessary corrective steps,” Vijayan said.
India does not have national language: KTR
K. T. Rama Rao today tweeted his views against the recommendation of the panel. He wrote that India does not have a national language and Hindi is one among the many official languages.
He also wrote, “To impose Hindi by way of mandating in IITs & central Govt recruitments, NDA Govt is flouting the federal spirit”.
“Indians should have a choice of language & we say No to #HindiImposition”, he added.
Recommendations made by the panel
The end of compulsory English language question paper in the recruitment examinations and adequate arrangement for Hindi translation in the orders of the high courts in Hindi-speaking states are among over 100 recommendations made by the committee in its latest report.
In its 11th report presented to President Droupadi Murmu last month, the Committee of Parliament on Official Language, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, recommended that local languages should be given preference over English in all states.
The medium of instruction in IITs, central universities and Kendriya Vidyalayas in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language, the panel recommended.
All states and Union territories are divided in three groups (regions) on the basis of progressive usage of Hindi.
The panel said that officers and employees in the central government who deliberately don’t work in Hindi in Hindi-speaking states should be warned and if they don’t perform despite warning, it should be reflected in their Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR).
Other recommendations include communication by central government offices, ministries or departments, such as letters, faxes, and emails, should take place in Hindi or local languages, simple and easy language should be used in official work and invitation letters, speeches, and moderation for any events organised by the central government should all be in Hindi or local languages.
With inputs from PTI
