NEP 2020 offers greater flexibility in implementation of 3-language formula, say YLP
Expressing dismay at the ongoing debate across the country on the possible imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States, Mr. Lakshmi Prasad said at a press conference that those expressing such apprehensions have probably not read the 65-page NEP 2020 document of the Ministry of HRD. The document clearly states that the choice of the three languages would rest with the State, region and the student. But, two of the three languages should be native to India.
The NEP 2020 document also states that over 200 Indian languages were lost during the last 50 years due to neglect. UNESCO has declared 197 Indian languages as 'endangered'. Various languages, which do not have a script, are in danger of becoming extinct. The NEP has underlined the need to integrate teaching and learning of Indian languages with school and higher education.
Mr. Lakshmi Prasad said that Mahatma Gandhi had advocated the use of Hindu during the Freedom Struggle to unite the people of the country. Hindi serves as an important link language when people from south go to the north, and outside India, English was important. But, neither Hindi nor English could be a substitute for one's mother tongue. Learning an additional language would benefit the learner and not the language itself or to the region concerned. The Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha has the maximum students from Tamil Nadu, learning Hindi.
He recalled that former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu had made their mark in national politics as they were well-versed with Hindi. TDP founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao had learnt Hindi at the age of 60, when he had to play a role in national politics. Similarly, the top Tamil actors like MGR, Jayalalitha and Rajanikanth were not from Tamil Nadu but had made their mark in Tamil films by learning Tamil. This shows that learning a new language benefits the individual but not the language or the region.
Mr. Lakshmi Prasad commended Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan for supporting the learning of Hindi as the third language. While all the 22 languages listed in the Constitution are equal, learning Hindi offers wider choices. Ravi Bachala from Dallas, Texas, and Kancherla Ramakrishna, from Michigan, were also present at the media conference.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India's bankruptcy law gets another reboot but will it work this time?
To its credit, the government has been constantly working to improve the code, and the latest Bill is a step in the right direction Business Standard Editorial Comment Listen to This Article Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday introduced the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, paving the way for further improvement in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The Bill has been sent to a select committee of Parliament for deliberation. This is the seventh time the IBC is being amended, and the Bill has been awaited for some time. Various stakeholders and policy analysts have criticised the IBC for falling short of expectations, primarily due to delays. The cases that yielded a resolution plan by the end of
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi's I-Day speech to spotlight Operation Sindoor, swadeshi push
India's success against Pakistan in Operation Sindoor, the government's resolve to protect interests of farmers amid US tariff threat and a renewed push towards Atmanirbhar Bharat are set to feature prominently during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Friday. On Wednesday, chief ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states and Union ministers participated in 'Tiranga Yatras' across the country. Home Minister Amit Shah hoisted the National Flag at his residence in New Delhi as part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign. He said the initiative has become a people's movement that strengthens the spirit of patriotism. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan organised a Tiranga Yatra and 'Swadeshi March' in his parliamentary constituency Vidisha–Raisen in Madhya Pradesh. He appealed to the people to hoist the National Flag at their homes on Independence Day and took a pledge with them to adopt 'swadeshi' 'made in India' products. Chouhan said three million women in the country are set to become Lakhpati Didis (earning ₹100,000 annually). 'I pledge to buy only products that are made in India for my daily use, and I will urge everyone in my family, neighbourhood, and village to do the same,' he said. Chouhan said the Indus Waters Treaty is no longer the issue. 'The issue is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It is ours, and it will remain ours,' he said. At a meeting that Chouhan attended on Tuesday in New Delhi, farmers welcomed the PM's decision to resist 'foreign pressure in trade negotiations,' according to an official press statement. Under the overarching objective of the government's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the theme of the 79th Independence Day is to celebrate the 'continuing rise of a prosperous, secure and bold Naya Bharat.' After the PM hoists the National Flag, two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force will shower flower petals, with one trooping the National Flag and the other a flag depicting 'Operation Sindoor'. The invitation cards for the 79th Independence Day celebration also carry the Operation Sindoor logo, and the water mark of Chenab bridge to exemplify the rise of 'Naya Bharat'. Floral decorations at the venue will also be based on 'Operation Sindoor'. Apart from personnel of the three defence services, 2,500 boy and girl cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) and 'My Bharat' volunteers will participate in the celebrations. Nearly 5,000 special guests have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year, including Indian contingent of Special Olympics 2025, winners of international sports events, farmers trained under National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, farmers engaged in sustainable management of medicinal plants, and sarpanches of open defecation free plus villages as well as interns enrolled under the PM Internship Scheme, among others. Other guests include sanitation workers, beneficiaries of the Lakhpati Didi scheme, Aanganwadi workers, rehabilitated bonded labourers and guests from 'vibrant villages' in border areas. The guest list represents the government's commitment to the welfare of the poor, farmers, women and youth, and also the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The Defence Ministry conducted quizzes and competitions in the run up to the Independence Day, including an essay writing competition on the topic 'Operation Sindoor: Redefining India's policy against terrorism'. Around 1,000 winners of these competitions have also been invited to attend the Independence Day celebrations. The online quizzes were conducted on the topics like the role of women in shaping new India, border of India and rise of Atmanirbhar Bharat and innovation in national security. For the first time ever, with the objective to 'promote patriotic fervour among citizens and to celebrate the victory of Operation Sindoor', a number of band performances will be conducted pan-India in the evening of Independence Day celebrations, the government's Press Information Bureau said. Bands from the defence and paramilitary forces will perform at over 140 prominent locations throughout the country.
Hindustan Times
5 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
At ministerial roundtable, India, Singapore agree to expand cooperation in key areas
NEW DELHI: India and Singapore on Wednesday reviewed bilateral cooperation in key areas such as connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and skilling and identified new initiatives for collaboration. The 3rd India Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was held in New Delhi on Wednesday. (@DrSJaishankar X) These matters were discussed at the third meeting of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), a special mechanism created in 2022 to advance cooperation in crucial sectors such as technology, investments and advanced manufacturing. The two sides reviewed the progress on cooperation under the six pillars of ISMR - advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development and sustainability. The two sides also 'deliberated on ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly under these six pillars, and identified a number of specific initiatives to pursue,' the external affairs ministry said in a readout. The Indian delegation included finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, commerce minister Piyush Goyal, and electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Singapore team included deputy prime minister Gan Kim Yong, coordinating minister for national security K Shanmugam, foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, digital development minister Josephine Teo, manpower minister Tan See Leng and acting transport minister Jeffrey Siow. The ministers from Singapore also met President Droupadi Murmu. People familiar with the matter said about 10 agreements covering topics under the six pillars of the ISMR were finalised during the meeting. These agreements are expected to be unveiled during a meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries next month. Deputy prime minister Gan, who is also Singapore's trade minister, visited Mumbai on Tuesday to take stock of investments by Singapore companies – PSA's Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (PSA Mumbai) Phase 2 and CapitaLand Investment's (CLI) new data centre in Navi Mumbai. These investments underscore Singapore's confidence in India's long-term economic trajectory, officials said. Gan and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis toured the port facilities and received a briefing from PSA on how the development of Phase 2 will enhance India's trade and maritime connectivity. Gan also witnessed the signing of an MoU between Mapletree Investments and the Maharashtra government to commit foreign direct investments equivalent to ₹3,000 crores in Maharashtra through the development of industrial parks, logistics parks and data centres. Gan inaugurated CLI's new data centre in Navi Mumbai, for which the firm is investing $453 million. The external affairs ministry said India views Singapore as an important partner in 'Act East' policy. Ties between the two sides were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2024.
