Language policy in NEP-2020

Ranjan Kumar Padmapati

(The writer can be reached at rkpadmapati@yahoo.co.in)

India is a multi-lingual country with diverse cultural heritage. Language is a vehicle of gath ering knowledge and means of communication with the people of immediate vicinity, across the country, and abroad. The 21st century has witnessed a sea change due to technological advancement and globalization. India's NEP 2020 is to mesh the new learning outcome with the changing world. India is home to 122 languages of which 22 languages are spoken by over one million people while remaining 100 languages are spoken by more than 10,000 people, according to 2001 census report. A different source recorded over 1,500 more languages used in India. India has lost 220 languages or dialects in last 50 years and UNESCO declared 197 languages as "endangered".

Multilingualism and offering multi-disciplinary courses are the essence of the NEP 2020. The old 10+2 system is being replaced with the 5+3+3+4 system. In the new millennium many present unskilled jobs will be taken over by skilled manpower. New demands created are multi-disciplinary knowledge, abilities across science, technology, social sciences, and humanities. Persons with such exposure in such fields will be in high demand. The new requirements are creative thinking, conceptual knowledge, thus NEP 2020 is aiming at to achieve such goals.

New three-language formula envisaged in the policy is not a new concept it is very much in practice since long, but provisions are kept here with much flexibility, that no language is imposed on any state, region or on students. A student or state is free to choose any two languages of native origin and a third language. It states, "Wherever possible the medium of instruction will be at grade 5 but preferably till class 8 and beyond will be the home language, mother tongue\ local language or regional language". As no language is compulsory students can skip off learning English which might put Indian students in a disadvantageous position in world markets as China faced. At the same time, English is not discarded... English is not very much relevant to some streams as fine arts, music etc., compared to a computer engineer. For example, the choice would be home language, Hindi as lingua franca and English for many. Researchers have found that children learn languages in a faster pace between the age group of 2 to 8 years and therefore multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young group of students. Learning a language after 18 years of age becomes difficult. In the new system, students will join schools at the age 3 and will learn all the three languages. It is discovered that 85% of child's cumulative brain develops prier to age of 6, attracting critical care to simulate the brain. Introduction of English at the entrance level from very young age through rhymes, play modes, practice of making simple sentences etc., will make English learning much more interesting. Also acquiring basics of communication, numerical skill in home language will make English learning easier at a later time of student life. According to K Kasturirangan, students of higher grades will learn science and mathematics in English and mother tongue through bi-lingual methods. The three languages of the Hindi belt would be Hindi as medium of instruction, English and an Indian language from 8th schedule, and in non-Hindi-speaking states home language or local language as medium of instruction, English and one modern Indian language. The policy is in line with UNESCO guideline to teach in home language, "at least six years of mother tongue education should be provided in ethnically diverse communities to ensure those speaking a different language from medium of instruction do not fall behind."

Education is in the concurrent list. Tamil Nadu has been opposing the learning of Hindi since 1937. The two-language formula has been followed with teaching of English and Tamil only. The Tamil Nadu government will stick to two-language formula. In the Hindi belt Sanskrit is preferred in lieu of any modern Indian language in current practice since long with English and Hindi as medium of Instruction. In Assam, Assamese will be the medium of instruction up to class five and a subject up to class ten, both in Hindi and English medium schools excluding the Barak Valley and BTR area.

Another important feature of adopting multilingualism is a quest to strengthen and enrich Indian languages, her cultural heritage and to familiarize the students with India's unity in diversity through Fun Project and 'Ek Bharat and Srethya Bharat Mission' at class 6-8 level. Familiarization with similarities and differences amongst different Indian languages to know their connection with Sanskrit are predominant objectives. At the same time other classical languages such as Tamil, Telegu, Kanada, Malayalam, Pali, Prakit, Persian, their richness will be explored and preserved. Students will empower themselves through own choice. Offering of foreign languages like Russian, Japanese, English, Thai, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese at secondary level will be of universal appeal. An Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation will be established for translation work of different languages, including foreign languages. All efforts will be made to promote and preserve all Indian languages, including classical, tribal and endangered languages.

Multilingualism is to reduce the school dropouts among backward and rural communities. They are not comfortable at any other language other than their own home languages as the medium of instruction, and so leave schools at higher classes. The GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) for class 6-8 was 90.9% and it was 79.3% and 56.5% for classes 9-10 and 11-12 respectively. Maximum dropout starts after class 8. The statistics of the NSSO of 2018 confirm the total dropout between 6 and 17 years of age is 3.22 crore. To bring such a huge number of students back to the classroom is a big challenge in 15 years time, need to establish one school, employment of 50 headmasters and 200-300 teachers per week. The spending as envisaged in the plan to increase from present 4.6% to 6% of GDP amounts to Rs 2.5 lakh crore annually is another challenge. The other challenges are to train 12.8 lakh Anganwadi workers in teaching jobs. To get skilled language teachers across the country, preparation of bi-lingual textbooks of different languages are other big issues ahead. In Assam 55 living languages with 3 link languages are spoken. In India of the recognized 270 mother tongues only 47 are medium of instruction till today, many more unscripted languages are to be developed.