Biju Dharmapalan
The debate of whether education should be imparted in English or regional language has been actively rhyming in our post-independent society. There has also been hot debate of how colonisation has affected regional languages. It’s true that as a nation we have to preserve our rich cultural and traditional diversity seen in our country, but at the same time we need to equip our present generation to take up the challenges in the future. Our present generation is living in a digital world where invariably the language of communication is English.
During colonisation, English was forced on us to make the jobs of foreigners easy. In that process the foreign rulers who ruled our land even learned native languages, sometimes better than native Indians, to understand or gather our rich scientific Knowledge tapped in these native languages. British scholars began to study Sanskrit, Persian, and other languages to better understand India’s ancient culture and systems of Knowledge. Because of this, they were able to produce scholarly works about Indian knowledge systems that were better than those of native Indians. This has also helped the world recognise Indian Knowledge.
On the slip side, the dominance of English has badly affected the status of many native languages. The British educational reforms prioritised English-medium instruction, particularly at the higher levels. This led to a situation where proficiency in English became synonymous with access to power, jobs, and social mobility. Many educated Indians, especially in urban areas, began to adopt English as their primary language, sidelining regional languages. This created a linguistic divide between the English-educated elite and the native-language-speaking masses.
The historic NEP 2020 envisioned reorienting our attention to regional languages in the education system. Unfortunately, its focus on nurturing local language in science and technology education has become problematic because of hyper activism. Many states are involved in translating science, engineering and medicine textbooks into regional languages. Though these will serve as a valuable document to preserve our languages, they won’t help improve the quality of higher education. Even before NEP 2020, many state universities had a provision for writing science in their regional languages. But there were few takers for that. Even today, when we make propaganda to promote regional languages, it’s not implemented uniformly. All these policy changes, good or bad, will affect only students studying in public sector institutions. This policy decision touches none of the so-called ‘branded high-class’ schools or universities. Also, none of our government servants, politicians, or even activists’ children study in these public sector educational institutions, so they are not concerned whether it will improve quality. So all this language love is ‘only for others, not me for me’. This culture is again creating a linguistic divide in our society, which the British did to us long before.
Whether we like it or not, English is the only language that acts as a bridge connecting various sections of our country. In higher education, especially in science and technology courses where information is gathered from the Knowledge generated in other countries, it has become the only language connecting us with the global knowledge hub. How can we develop good engineers or scientists if they are not competent to understand English? Are there any takers for an engineering or science course if offered in a regional language? How will translators explain the equations, theorems and principles of modern science? Won’t it create more confusion than making students understand their regional languages? How will our future youngsters survive in an AI-dominated digital world where English is the lingua franca for the global workforce?
Educators and policymakers should seriously deliberate on these aspects before implementing them in higher education. Lakhs of rupees have been spent translating the available English technical books into regional languages, mostly to show the government authorities. Most of these books are kept on the shelves, for there are few takers. What change or benefit it has brought to higher education is debatable.
Teaching science and technology in a regional language can be effective, particularly at the elementary and intermediate levels, where it improves comprehension and inclusiveness. However, for advanced levels, a bilingual approach, where the regional language is used alongside English, might provide the benefits of both accessibility and global relevance. This hybrid model ensures that students can grasp foundational concepts easily while still being prepared for global academic or professional challenges.
English is undeniably the global language of science, technology, and research today. Of course, there are a few exceptions in history, like Gregor Mendel, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and others who published their work in the native language. Most cutting-edge scientific papers, engineering manuals, and international patents are published in English. For technologists and scientists, proficiency in English is seen as a gateway to accessing vast knowledge repositories and contributing to global innovation. At the same time, complex scientific concepts can only be understood if they are delivered in regional languages. These can be explained to students in their native language by the teachers during the teaching session itself. Most teachers in our country follow a bilingual mode of engagement in classes.
At the same time, a lack of English proficiency does not equate to a lack of intelligence, curiosity, or creativity. For a country like India, where millions of students receive education in their native languages, it’s essential to rethink how linguistic competence in English aligns with the development of capable scientists and technologists. In today’s world, it is essential to ensure that the focus remains on nurturing scientific minds and technical expertise rather than overemphasising language chauvinism in science education.
(The author is the Dean-Academic affairs, Garden City University and adjunct faculty at NIAS, Bangalore)
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