GOI launches initiative for digital study materials in regional languages

The government has announced a significant initiative to provide digital study materials for all school and higher education courses in languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. The Ministry of Education issued an order directing educational regulators such as UGC, AICTE, NCERT, NIOS, IGNOU, and institutes like IITs, CUs, and NITs to make study materials available in Indian languages within the next three years.

Additionally, UGC, AICTE, and the Department of School Education have been tasked with addressing the matter concerning state schools and universities. This directive aligns with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasising the promotion of multilingualism in education at all levels. The objective is to provide students with the opportunity to study in their native languages, leading to enhanced learning outcomes.

The government has been actively working on this initiative for the past two years. The Anuvadini AI-based application has been employed for the translation of Engineering, Medical, Law, Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG), and Skill books. These translated books are accessible through the ekumbh portal. Furthermore, within the school education ecosystem, study materials are already available in multiple Indian languages, including over 30 languages on DIKSHA. Competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, and CUET are currently conducted in 13 Indian languages.

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