Subjects:

• GS-2: Education & Governance: Language Policy, NEP Implementation
• GS-1: Society: Linguistic Variety, Mother Tongue’s Role

Key Points

Instruction Medium

• NEP 2020 requires teaching in the mother tongue or regional language until Grade 5, ideally Grade 8, to boost learning outcomes.
• Multilingualism, including bilingual methods, is promoted from early education.

Three-Language Approach

• Unlike the 1986 policy’s focus on Hindi, English, and another Indian language, NEP offers states flexibility.
• Tamil Nadu opposes this due to historical resistance.

Survey Insights

• NCERT’s Eighth All India School Education Survey:
  • 92.39% of rural schools use the mother tongue.
  • Urban schools lean toward English, highlighting a divide.

Implementation Hurdles

• Resources: NCERT introduced bilingual textbooks; digital versions in 100 languages are set for 2024.
• State Resistance: Tamil Nadu dropped Hindi in 2010; Himachal Pradesh lacks teachers for Telugu and Tamil.

Additional Language Focus

• Classical languages (e.g., Sanskrit, Tamil) and foreign languages (e.g., Korean, French) will be encouraged.

Insights & Next Steps

• Teacher training and resources are key to regional language success.
• State flexibility must balance unity and diversity.
• Bilingual tools can ease transitions to advanced education.

Mains Practice Question

“Assess the three-language formula’s impact under NEP 2020. How can India reconcile linguistic diversity with uniform education standards?”