iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
In a first for the country’s medical and academic history, India has launched the MBBS course in Hindi. The first MBBS course in Hindi was launched in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday, October 16, by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in the presence of several dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Shah termed this as a very important step for the medical sector and added that this is the day of the renaissance and reconstruction of education in the country. He said there is going to be an educational revolution due to the restoration of pride in our languages through the country’s new education policy. In 2014 there were 387 medical colleges in the country, the number has now increased to 596, and the number of MMBS seats has increased from 51,000 to 79,000.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi tweeted to hail the commencement of medical education in Hindi at Bhopal. Modi said that the “historic move will empower lakhs of students to study medicine in their own language”. He added that it will provide multiple opportunities for the students.
The decision to give importance to the mother tongue of students in primary, technical, and medical education was initiated by Modi. He had called for providing medical and engineering education in regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Bengali. The government of Madhya Pradesh is the first to move in this direction.
Shah said that engineering studies will also be offered in Hindi and translation of engineering books has commenced in eight languages across the country. “Soon students across the nation will be able to pursue technical and medical education in their mother tongue. This day is important as from now onwards, students will not only receive instructions in technical and medical education in their mother tongue but also will be able to conduct research in their own language,” he added.
The government has introduced several changes in the country’s academic processes and has ensured that joint entrance exams like the JEE, NEET, and UGC examinations are conducted in 12 languages. The Common University Entrance Test is also being conducted in 13 languages and 10 States have commenced teaching engineering courses by translating them into Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, and Gujarati.
Shah said that those who spread the usage of English have associated language with intellectual ability, but there is no relation between language and intellectual ability. “Language is only a medium of expression whereas intellectual ability is a natural gift which can be improved through education and if education is given in the mother tongue, then it will prove to be very beneficial in improving intellectual ability. He said after today’s launch, India will go a long way in global research, and the intellectual potential of our students will also be placed before the world,” he added.
