UGC Wants Universities to Allow Students to Appear Exams in Local Languages

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities in India to allow students to write exams in their local or regional languages. According to the UGC even when a course is in English medium, students should have the option to write answers in local regional languages in examinations.

UGC chairman Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar has advocated the promotion of the translation of original writing in local languages and the use of local language in the teaching-learning process at universities.

“If teaching, learning, and evaluation are strengthened in local languages, it will increase the participation of students in teaching-learning, which will increase their success rate. This will specifically strengthen efforts to achieve the envisaged goal of increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio in higher education from 27 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035,” Prof. Kumar said.

Promotion and regular use of Indian languages in education is an important area of focus in the National Education Policy 2020.