Allow students to write exams in regional languages: UGC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged universities to allow students to write exams in local or regional languages even if the course is offered in English, Commission Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar confirmed to a news portal recently.

Kumar has written to the vice-chancellors of all universities asking them to promote translation of original writing in local languages and use local language in the teaching-learning process. It reads, “Once teaching, learning and assessment are done in the local languages, the student engagement will eventually increase leading to an increase in success rate. This will significantly strengthen the efforts of achieving the target of enhancing the GER in higher education from 27 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035.”

The move is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that emphasises on making education available in regional or local languages. Further, the government of India is taking steps to push regional or local languages in the education system.

In 2021, the AICTE allowed engineering colleges to offer courses in regional languages as well. Last December, UGC formed a panel to work on translating available books of different courses in regional languages.