In order to promote the usage of regional languages in higher education, the Chief of the University Grants Commission (UGC), M Jagadesh Kumar, has written a letter to all central universities, urging them to use local and regional languages for teaching and learning. According to the letter, universities should allow students to write their exams in their regional languages, even if the subjects are taught in English. The letter also encourages universities to promote the translation of original writing into local languages.
The letter states, "Once teaching, learning, and assessment are conducted in local languages, student engagement will eventually increase, leading to a higher success rate. This will significantly strengthen efforts to achieve the target of enhancing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education from 27% to 50% by the year 2035."
The UGC has also requested information from universities regarding the list of books used for teaching in local languages, available teaching staff who can understand and teach students in local languages, whether students can write answers in local languages, and an action plan for promoting the usage of regional languages among others.
