On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the significance of education in one’s mother tongue, asserting that it enhances a student’s ability to think critically, reason, analyze, and conduct research. Shah highlighted the promotion of mother tongue-based education in the new National Education Policy (NEP) during his address at the 95th anniversary celebration of Sheth G C High School in Vijapur, Mehsana.
Shah informed the gathering about ongoing efforts to translate technical, medical, and higher education course syllabi into regional languages. He expressed confidence that the NEP would propel India to become the leading country globally within the next 25 years.
He contrasted the pre-Independence British education policy, which emphasized rote learning, with the transformative approach of the NEP. According to Shah, the NEP addresses the shortcomings of the previous system, enabling students to think, research, reason, analyze, decide, and understand, thereby contributing positively to society.
The fundamental change in the NEP, Shah emphasized, lies in prioritizing education in the mother tongue at the primary and secondary levels. He expressed optimism that, in the coming years, all students across the country would receive education in their mother tongue.
Shah also highlighted the translation of technical, medical, and higher education syllabi into various regional languages, including Gujarati, Telugu, Odia, Punjabi, and Bengali. This initiative aims to enable India to make substantial contributions to research and development.
Moreover, Shah underscored the role of the NEP in nurturing a child’s inherent capacities, such as art and music, by providing a platform for original thinking when subjects are taught in their mother tongue. He pointed out that the NEP emphasizes commercial and skill education, predicting that over 50 percent of students would be connected to commercial education before Class 10, fostering self-employment and engagement in micro and cottage industries.
