Hyderabad: Allow students to write exams in local lingo says UGC chief Jagadesh Kumar

Hyderabad: The University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman, Prof. Jagadesh Kumar, on Wednesday asked the vice-chancellors and heads of the higher educational institutions (HEIs) to allow their students to write examinations in local languages. In a letter to VCcs, Prof. Kumar pointed out that the New Education Policy-2020 places emphasis on the promotion of the mother tongue in HEIs. Also, it will help in reaching the gross enrolment ratio (GER) from the current 27 per cent to 50 per cent in HEIs by 2035.

He asked VCs to allow students to write examinations in local languages, "even if a programme is offered in English medium," besides promoting the translation of original writings from textbooks, reference books, and study materials into local languages and the use of local language in the teaching-learning process at universities.

For this, he asked VCs to provide data on the discipline-wise availability of textbooks, reference books, and study materials at the university. Also, writing discipline-wise textbooks, reference books, and study materials in the local languages.

Besides, the university should have faculty who can write and translate. The UGC chairman has also asked to provide information on the local publishers who can print such material in the local language and discuss the success story plan in bringing out such materials in the local languages, He also asked VCs to clarify whether students at their respective universities can write exams in the local languages.