IIT-Jodhpur to offer BTech programme in Hindi too

The batch will then be divided into two sections, based on their preference for Hindi or English medium of instruction. The same professor will teach both sections “to maintain consistency and rigour in education,” he said. However, students will also be given the choice of switching between sections.

The Ministry of Education is pleased to share that @iitjodhpur will now offer B. Tech 1st year courses in both Hindi and English, beginning this academic year! This initiative is designed to ensure all students can learn effectively in the language they are most comfortable with.… pic.twitter.com/bF8FpuR7Hg

— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) July 9, 2024

“If in a Physics course, some students are comfortable with English, and others with Hindi, then we will divide the batch accordingly, but the same professor will teach both the mediums. The same professor means rigor will be the same. Also, here the technical terms will be in English, but the explanation will be in sort of Hinglish (Hindi + English), and not in chaste Hindi. Our aim is to remove the problem in understanding,” Agarwal said.

Additionally, the study material and assignments for First Year undergraduate students will be available in both languages, he said. The decision to teach in Hindi and English was taken by the institute one-and-a-half months ago and was approved by the institute’s Senate at its 38th meeting held on June 26, and subsequently by the Board of Governors on June 28.

Students will also be provided remedial “English classes” to improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in the language. “The aim of these classes is to ensure that students are comfortable with the English language by the end of the First Year, and they can then shift to English medium, if they wish,” Agarwal said.

IIT-Jodhpur’s decision is in line with the new National Education Policy, 2020, that advocates imparting education in Indian languages for an improved understanding and better teaching-learning outcome. The move is significant as the IITs had initially shown resistance to the proposal.

In early 2021, the Education Ministry set up a committee to explore the feasibility of IITs and NITs offering tech programmes in regional languages. At that time, the heads of some of the top IITs cautioned the Centre against the idea, citing potential challenges related to employment opportunities, industry requirements, and the globalised workplace. They also highlighted the significant logistical challenges this would pose for IITs, including issues with faculty, textbooks and reference material.

Asked if the decision would affect job opportunities available to students who choose to be taught in Hindi, Agarwal said: “When students are taught in their mother tongue, their innate learning ability is at the highest and the concepts are clearer. So since they will be studying in their mother tongue, their ability to innovate, to learn, to express, will be far better and their concepts will be clearer. Also, since we will be providing them with English classes, their communication skills will also be polished. They can then shift to English in their Second or Third Year, and by the time they graduate, they will be as trained as their colleagues from the English batches.”

“The IQ levels of the students who do not come from English medium are as good as English medium students, but they may be missing out on opportunities due to lack of accessibility of options, and we may be missing out on talent too. To bridge this gap, we have decided to offer First Year BTech programmes in Hindi,” he said.

For now, IIT-Jodhpur is offering the option only to its new batch of students starting this year. Whether or not this programme will be extended to Second Year students has not been decided yet, and the institute plans to take that decision on the basis of responses received.