Is it practical to conduct higher education in regional languages?

In this year’s Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted proposed reforms under The National Education Policy (NEP) and emphasized the use of regional languages for instruction at the primary and higher education levels. This focus has led to the launch of technical courses in five Indian languages by 14 engineering colleges for the new academic year. While imparting primary education in native languages has documented benefits, it is yet to be seen whether it is practical to precipitate a regional-medium shift in higher education, especially in the face of a largely dysfunctional public education system.

Several studies in India and other Asian countries suggest a positive impact on learning outcomes for students at schools using a regional medium, compared to their English medium counterparts. Performance in science and math, in particular, has been found to be better among students studying in their native language compared to English, other things being equal. Further, educational psychology literature reports additional benefits of instruction in the native language, including higher attendance and motivation among students and improved parental involvement and support in studies, possibly because of familiarity with the mother tongue. This is especially relevant for disadvantaged students such as first-generation learners, who may feel intimidated by unfamiliar concepts in an alien language.

The arguments above do not preclude the teaching of English as a language. In the words of Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, we need to move from a “mother tongue versus English" paradigm towards a “mother tongue plus English" approach. Research in cognitive psychology has shown that small children quickly grasp new languages, given their neuroplasticity in early years; hence this is an appropriate age to be exposed to a foreign language as a means of communication.

As for higher education, while the launch of engineering courses in regional languages can narrow the divide in access to higher education between the marginalized and the privileged, this path is paved with practical concerns. These challenges may explain Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) shying away from it. The foremost challenge is the availability of study material such as textbooks and scholarly literature. For this purpose, the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has launched an artificial intelligence-powered tool to translate books, academic journals and videos. However, quality control of these translations will be of utmost importance to keep semantic irregularities at bay. We need further efforts in linguistics and machine learning to serve the cause.

Also, industry placements of graduates trained in regional languages might remain a question mark. Many public sector units accept Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE, conducted in English) scores for entry-level positions. Given the already lamentable employability of college-educated individuals, studying in a regional language could further inhibit job opportunities, sharpening India’s language divide and going against the envisioned goal of instilling confidence in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Another bottleneck may be the availability of faculty for regional-medium courses. Given the English-medium legacy of higher education in India, attracting and retaining quality teachers who are willing and able to teach in regional languages would be a challenge. The AICTE, for example, has approved regional language teaching for disciplines such as computer science and information technology; however, coding, which primarily uses English syntax, would require faculty training for the satisfactory delivery of regional-language instruction. There are also globalization trends to consider. The NEP encourages the internationalization of education by facilitating the movement of faculty across borders, but regional-medium students may be unable to reap the benefits of knowledge transfers on account of a language barrier.

Finally, delivering technical courses in regional languages may prevent students from competing in global labour and education markets, where fluency in English yields a distinct edge. A lack of opportunities for Indian students at the international level may prove counterproductive to the policy aim of bridging the gap between elites and the rest. As mentioned above, this also goes against the vision of promoting the internationalization of education.

The language policy of the NEP has attracted bouquets as well as brickbats, and the introduction of higher education courses in regional languages is a particularly contentious issue. A holistic approach is warranted and the implications of native-language instruction in an increasingly globalized world need deep deliberation for India to achieve its equity objectives.

Parul Gupta is assistant professor of economics at the Indian School of Business and Finance, New Delhi