For decades after Independence, Bharat’s higher education system remained shaped by a colonial linguistic legacy in which English functioned both as a gatekeeper of opportunity and a barrier to access. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marked a decisive shift away from this imbalance by reaffirming a civilisational insight: education is most empowering when imparted in one’s mother tongue.
Reimagining technical education beyond english
A landmark development in this transformation occurred on January 6, 2026, when IIT Indore advanced Hindi as a functional language of science and technology through Abhyuday-3, a National Technical Hindi Seminar. Organised in collaboration with IIT Jodhpur and CSIR–NIScPR, the initiative sought to institutionalise technical Hindi across teaching, research, and administrative domains. Its central objective was to reduce linguistic barriers for students from Hindi-medium backgrounds who have historically been underrepresented in technical education.
This milestone built upon an earlier precedent set by IIT Jodhpur, which in September 2025 became the first Indian Institute of Technology to offer first-year BTech instruction in Hindi. By doing so, it challenged the long-held assumption that engineering excellence is intrinsically linked to English proficiency.
Indian languages on the national and global stage
The impact of the NEP has also extended beyond Bharat’s borders. In July 2025, Sri Lanka’s Kotelawala Defence University launched a Hindi language programme in partnership with the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. This initiative strengthened Bharat–Sri Lanka civilisational ties, positioning education as a bridge for cultural continuity and linguistic exchange.
Within Bharat, the multilingual vision of the National Education Policy began translating into institutional practice. IGNOU, through a memorandum of understanding with the Odisha government, initiated the delivery of all academic programmes in Odia, from undergraduate degrees to certificate courses. This intervention illustrated how higher education in regional languages can directly empower tribal, rural, and first-generation learners by aligning academic instruction with linguistic familiarity.
AICTE as the driving force
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) emerged as a central institutional catalyst in this transformation. As early as October 2021, AICTE approved BTech programmes in Hindi and supported their rollout through AI-enabled translation of core engineering textbooks.
By April 2025, AICTE announced plans to make engineering textbooks available in 12 Indian languages. More than 600 titles had already been published, with several others under development. Concurrently, regional-language engineering programmes expanded across 22 colleges nationwide, collectively offering 2,580 seats, marking a structural shift rather than a symbolic gesture.
Medicine and technology in the mother tongue
Medical education also underwent a significant recalibration. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh introduced Hindi-medium MBBS programmes from the 2024–25 academic session, primarily to accommodate students from rural and Hindi-medium backgrounds. These initiatives echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated emphasis on eliminating linguistic discrimination in professional education.
In the digital learning ecosystem, IIT Madras, through NPTEL, broadened access by offering Python programming and data structures courses in Tamil. Simultaneously, institutions across the country translated thousands of hours of technical content into multiple Indian languages, widening participation in technology-driven education.
Outcomes: From policy vision to ground reality
The results of these reforms have moved beyond intent into measurable outcomes. At IIT Jodhpur, enrolment in Hindi-medium engineering programmes showed sustained demand, with 116 students in the first batch and 96 in the subsequent intake. Students reported greater confidence and conceptual clarity during their foundational year, enabling a smoother transition to English-medium instruction in later semesters.
Similarly, IIT-BHU’s move towards introducing Hindi-medium instruction in the first year is expected to reduce linguistic inequities at one of Bharat’s most prestigious institutions.
Regional-language graduates prove their worth
Scepticism surrounding regional-language education was decisively challenged by outcomes from Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering in Pune. The first batch of Marathi-medium engineers, graduating in 2025, achieved a 60 percent placement rate, with salary packages reaching up to ₹10 lakh per annum. Their performance demonstrated clear parity with English-medium graduates in both competence and employability.
Medical education finds a balanced model
States such as Madhya Pradesh, which pioneered Hindi-medium MBBS education, reported that nearly 30 percent of students opted for Hindi instruction, citing improved conceptual understanding and reduced academic stress. Over time, institutions evolved a hybrid Hindi–English model, offering flexibility while maintaining academic rigour.
Rising enrolments and cultural confidence
Nationwide data reflected growing acceptance of regional-language education. Vacant seats in regional-language engineering programmes declined sharply—from 80 percent in 2021–22 to 53 percent in 2022–23. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh emerged as leading adopters of this model.
Beyond statistics, these reforms strengthened Bharat’s linguistic self-confidence. In Sri Lanka, Hindi education advanced cultural diplomacy, while in Odisha and Tamil Nadu, regional languages gained large-scale academic legitimacy. Collectively, these developments indicate that NEP 2020 has begun translating its philosophical vision into a durable transformation of Bharat’s higher education landscape.
