Engineering colleges will soon have exams in local languages along with English: AICTE:

Engineering College: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has issued a directive asking all technical universities to prepare exam question papers in English and local languages. This move will help students who have studied in regional languages. Apart from this, teachers have also been instructed to use local languages in classes. This will make it easier for students to study in their mother tongue and they will also be able to work confidently in English.

promotion of local language

Various languages are spoken in India, and this decision of AICTE is based on the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NEP 2020 recognizes the importance of the mother tongue and promotes the use of local languages. According to AICTE Member Secretary Rajiv Kumar, all entrance examinations are now being conducted in Indian languages. Similarly, technical universities have also been instructed to prepare question papers in local languages along with English. This step will prove to be helpful for students to adapt to the new environment.

Increasing education in local languages

AICTE has taken several initiatives to promote local languages in the field of technical education. Universities have now been asked to prepare question papers in local languages, although this is not mandatory. AICTE has also allocated additional seats for UG and diploma engineering courses conducted in regional languages. This will promote technical education in Indian languages and students will get an opportunity to study in their regional language as well.

The need to learn English

Though education in regional languages has its advantages, English also has an important role to play. According to PV Navaneethakrishnan, former professor and director, of Anna University, students should be gradually encouraged to learn and use English. English is not only important as a medium of education but is also useful in professional life. In Tamil Nadu, Anna University offers engineering courses in Tamil, and the government has also provided reservations for students coming from Tamil medium.