The Big Picture : NEP – B.Tech in regional languages – Rajya Sabha TV (rstv.nic.in)

The Big Picture : NEP – B.Tech in regional languages – Rajya Sabha TV (rstv.nic.in)

General Studies 2: Education

B.Tech in regional languages

In News: 14 Engineering Colleges in the country will now begin to offer various courses in regional languages.

• In a move to ensure implementation of the New Education policy, this step has been taken by these colleges, spread over eight states in the country.
• These colleges have secured permission from the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to collectively admit over 1,000 students in undergraduate programmes that will be taught in regional languages from the new academic year.
• At least half of them, four from Uttar Pradesh, two from Rajasthan and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand will teach in Hindi.
• The remaining colleges from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will offer the programme in Telugu, Marathi, Bengali and Tamil, respectively.

Significance of the move:

• Students who faced difficulty with English language are going to benefit and will gain confidence and will giver better learning outcomes.
• This step will ensure that no students face discrimination in higher education institutes due to the language barrier.
• Students who have interest in completing degree in their mother tongue will now have an option.
• Offering higher education programmes in regional languages will equip students to solve local problems with a global mindset.
• By giving importance to our languages, we can at least diminish the gap between the English-speaking population and those who speak in their mother tongues.
• Finally, when combined with skill development, this will help develop professionals who can transform the country from the grassroots.
• This change will improve the learning outcome of an engineering students.
• Even at job level the engineer may have to deal with the workers in regional languages so it will be an added advantage even at higher career stage too. Explaining the technical aspect in their regional language is very important hence this problem will be overcome with this move.

Potential challenges

• Making study material available in regional languages is toughest challenge AICTE has faced.
• Students will face difficulty in finding job at places where preferred language is English.
• Students may be at disadvantage when they will move ahead in their career.

 Way forward:

• AICTE has taken caution and has proposed to make an effort to make sure the students are well versed with English also.
• Such kind of change can be done in an abrupt manner. Transition will be smooth so that the challenges can be dealt with properly.
• The smooth transition in which people will start feeling comfortable with regional languages and companies should also start feeling comfortable in taking such students for their work.
• Faculty development program very critical component for the success of this process and that has begun.
• Overall, it’s a welcome step that is going to enhance the learning outcome which is very important as per the vision of new education policy.

Connecting the dots:

Critically analyze the move of 14 Engineering Colleges in the country to offer various courses in regional languages.