Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday released Hindi textbooks of three MBBS subjects in Bhopal and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting the language at international fora, PTI reported.
Shah claimed that Modi turned the “brain drain” theory of the post-Independence years into “brain gain” by enabling students to pursue medicine and technical education in Hindi and other languages. The “brain drain” theory was a reference to the migration of skilled professionals to other countries in search of better prospects.
The home minister inaugurated Hindi textbooks for anatomy, biochemistry and physiology at Bhopal’s Lal Parade Ground. He described the event as a golden day and a moment of reawakening and reconstruction in the field of education, The Indian Express reported.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Hindi on the international platforms to send across a message to the world,” Shah said. “This boosts the confidence of the young people in India.”
The home minister said that Modi embarked on a mission to provide medical and engineering education in Hindi and other regional languages. “As per the PM’s vision, our languages are being given importance and entrance exams… are being held in 12 languages,” he said.
Shah also praised Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan providing medical education in Hindi, in keeping with the National Education Policy. “It was one of the points in the manifesto of the 2018 assembly elections and when the government came to power, the state became the first to introduce it,” he said, according to The Indian Express.
Shah made the statements on a day when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the recommendations of a parliamentary panel on the medium of instruction in higher education institutes.
The committee, headed by Shah, recommended that the medium of instruction in higher education institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology should be Hindi in Hindi-speaking states and other local languages in the rest of the country. The committee suggested that the use of English should be made optional.
Stalin, in the letter to Modi, said that the number of citizens speaking languages other than Hindi is more than those speaking Hindi.
“I am sure you would appreciate that every language has its own specialty with its uniqueness and linguistic culture,” he said. “It is with the objective of protecting our rich and unique languages from the imposition of Hindi that English has been made as the link language and continue to be one of the official languages of the Union Government.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!