PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGES OTHER THAN SANSKRIT AND CLASSICAL LANGUAGES
A- HINDI LANGUAGE
1. CENTRAL HINDI DIRECTORATE The Central Hindi Directorate was set up in 1960 as a subordinate office with the object of propagation and development of Hindi as a link language as per the Constitutional Directive contained in Article 351. The Directorate has four regional centres located at Hyderabad, Calcutta, Guwahati and Madras.
The Directorate is operating the following schemes for the promotion and development of Hindi:-
Contd...
- 3A -
(A) CONTINUING SCHEMES
(1) SCHEMES OF PUBLICATIONS Presently 5 schemes are in operation under this category as detailed below:-
(a) Preparation of foreign language dictionaries - The Directorate is preparing dictionaries and conversational guides. Czech-Hindi and German-Hindi dictionaries have been published. Under the UN languages Dictionaries Programme, Hindi-Chinese, Hindi-Arabic, Hindi-French, and Hindi-Spanish dictionaries have been published. A consolidated Hindi-based dictionary of UN languages is under compilation. A project for the preparation of bilingual languages of Hindi and languages of neighboring countries has been undertaken. Out of these, Hindi-Persian, Hindi-Singhalese and Hindi-Indonesian are ready for printing.
(b) Preparation of Bi-lingual/Tri-lingual dictionaries The Directorate is compiling 13 Hindi and 13 regional languages based bilingual dictionaries. 12 Hindi-based and 12 regional-language-based trilingual dictionaries are also being compiled.
(c) Publication of Bhasha/Varshiki/Sahityamala - The Directorate brings out Hindi journals like "Unesco-doot", "Bhasha" Varshiki. "Sahityamala". etc.
(d)Holding of Exhibitions - For propagation of Hindi the Directorate organises/participates in book fairs/exhibitions.
(e)Free distribution of Hindi Books - Under this scheme Hindi books are distributed free of cost to voluntary organisations and educational institutions/libraries in non-Hindi areas.
(2) SCHEME OF CORRESPONDENCE COURSES The Directorate is conducting an important programme of teaching Hindi through correspondence through the medium of English, Bangla and Malayalam. So far, approximately 3.15 lakh people have taken advantage of this programme. Generally about 10-12,000 persons enrol themselves annually under this programme. It is considered that computerisation of functioning of Unit in the Directorate handling this assignment will improve its operations and bring better results.
(3) AWARDS TO HINDI WRITERS The Directorate is implementing 2 schemes under this category under which awards are given to promote Hindi, namely (a) Awards to Hindi writers whose mother-tongue is other than Hindi on books originally written in Hindi. The number of awards is 19 per year, and the amount of award money is Rs.15,000/- per book. (b) Shiksha Puruskar which is given to select books
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written originally in Hindi on education-related subjects. The number of awards given annually is 4 @ Rs.25,000 per book.
(4) SURVEY OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGE The Directorate is conducting a survey of official language for the last 2 years.
(5) EXTENSION SERVICES AND PROGRAMMES The Directorate, under its extension services conducts annually 8 workshops for new Hindi writers; 2 conducted tours for students; 8 Lecture tours of university professors from Non-Hindi speaking areas to Hindi-speaking areas and vice versa; 2 Symposia of Hindi scholars to discuss the latest techniques and forms of literature; and travel grant to 20 research students.
(6) HINDI THROUGH CASSETTES The Directorate has brought out audio/video casettes for their programme of teaching Hindi. Funds are required for duplication of already prepared cassettes and also for preparation of new casettes.
These schemes are considered essential for the promotion and development of Hindi and the Working Group recommends continuation of all these schemes during the 9th Plan. The financial requirement during the 9th Plan period for the above scheme is detailed below:-
i) Publication 140.00 lakhs
ii) Extension services and Programme. 35.00 lakhs
iii) Awards to Hindi Authors. 60.00 lakhs
iv) Survey of Spoken Language. 5.00 lakhs
v) Correspondence Course. 150.00 lakhs
vi) Cassettes. 10.00 lakhs
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Total 400.00 lakhs
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Year-wise phasing of the expenditure during the Plan period is as
under:- (Rs. in lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
80.00 80.00 80.00 80.00 80.00 400.00
(7) GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS FOR PROROGATION AND
DEVELOPMENT OF HINDI(INCLUDING DAKSHIN BHARAT HINDI PRACHAR SABHA) AND
SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE FOR PUBLICATION/PURCHASE OF BOOKS. For the development of Hindi as a link language, this scheme is in operation since the 1st 5-Yr Plan under which voluntary organisations are given financial assistance to the extent of 75% for undertaking activities like conducting Hindi teaching classes, shorthand/typing classes, Hindi libraries, publication of brochures/magazines etc. About 200 voluntary
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organisations are receiving grants every year while there is demand by more such organisations.
Besides, assistance for publications in Hindi is also given to voluntary organisations and individuals. Individuals/voluntary organisations are also assisted by way of bulk purchase of Hindi books.
The Working Group was informed that there does not exist proper system of monitoring the activities of these organisations. It is therefore recommended that the activities of the grantees be monitored effectively and closely to ensure proper utilisation of funds.
The scheme may be continued in the 9th Plan period. The financial requirement is estimated to be Rs.3500 lakhs. Year wise phasing of the expenditure during the Plan period is as under:-
(Rs.in lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
500 600 700 800 900 3500
(B) NEW SCHEME The Directorate proposes to conduct the correspondence course of teaching Hindi through 2 more languages, namely Telugu and Kannada. The proposal is considered necessary and a provision of Rs.50 lakhs during the 9th Plan period (may be sufficient for this purpose. Year- wise phasing of the expenditure during the Plan period is as under:-
(Rs. in lakhs)
1997-9B 1998--99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 50.00
2.COMMISSION FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY The Commission for Scientific & Technical 'terminology was set up in October, 1961 for evolution of Scientific and Technical Terminology in Hindi and other Indian languages, production of university level books and reference literature in all disciplines, identification of pan-Indian Terminology, setting up a national terminology bank and organising terminology orientation workshops to facilitate smooth change over of media of instruction in universities. The Commission has so far evolved and published 5.5 lakhs Scientific and Technical terms of various disciplines.
A)CONTINUING SCHEMES The ongoing schemes of the Commission are:-
(a) PUBLICATION - for undertaking publication of definitional dictionaries and Pan-Indian glossaries etc.
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(b) TERMINOLOGY orientation workshops - for organising workshops for University/College teachers with a view to popularise the use of Scientific and Technical Terminology.
(C) TA/DA TO NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS - for meeting the expenditure of non-official experts in the work of the Commission. The Working Group recommends continuation of these ongoing schemes. The financial requirement for these programmes during the 9th Plan period is estimated at Rs.170.00 lakhs. Year-wise phasing of the expenditure during the Plan period is as under:-
(Rs. in lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
30.00 30.00 35.00 35.00 40.00 170.00
(d) PRODUCTION OF UNIVERSITY LEVEL BOOKS IN HINDI AND IN
OTHER INDIAN LANGUAGES. In pursuance of the directive of the Parliament expressed in the Policy Resolution on Languages in 1968, which was also reiterated in National Policy on Education 1986, a scheme of Production of University Level Books in Hindi and in other Indian Languages was initiated by the Government in the year 1968 to facilitate the change to Indian Languages as the medium of instruction at the University level. In the beginning assistance was given to the participating States, which had universities of their own, to the extent of 75% which was later on increased to 100%, with the monitoring ceiling of Rupees One Crore for each participating State Government, to meet the expenditure on cost of production of books. Assistance was also provided to some University Cells for production of books in Indian languages. The State Governments set up Granth Academies/Text Book Boards for implementation of the scheme. All the participating States, except the States of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, lifted full grant admissible under scheme upto the ceiling of Rs. One Crore each. So far grants totaling Rs.16,47,41,352/-(Rupees Sixteen Crores forty seven lakhs forty one thousand three hundred and fifty two only) have been released in favour of the State Governments under this scheme. About 11,635 books in various Indian Languages have been produced.
These books have helped in encouraging the different Universities to prescribe the Regional Languages as an alternate medium of instructions. This is by and large true of most of the graduate level courses while a beginning has been made in the case of the. post graduate courses. However, it will not be correct to say that the entire set of courses have now standard books in all Indian Languages or that entire student community has switched over to these languages. Such a change over will involve the availability of very large number of text books as well as the reference books. A sustained effort is required for this. Specially for the professional courses like medicine, engineering and agriculture.
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The Government set up an Expert Committee in April, 1994 under the chairmanship of Shri M.R. Kolhatkar, former Adviser(Education), Planning Commission to assist the work done by the Grant Academies/State Text Book Boards and there present capability in order to enable the Government to consider whether further Central assistance is necessary under the scheme. This Committee submitted its revised Report in August, 1995. The Committee gave considerable thought to various issues and dimensions of the scheme with special reference to financial implication. The Committee made the following major recommendations:-
(i) The organisation for preparation and production of text books in Indian Languages should be a National Consortium under UGC with active collaboration of specialised apex organisations like All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE), India Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Medical Council of India (MCI). This will require Rs.25 crores as seed capital assistance to be shared by the UGC (Rs.10.00 crores), AICTE Rs.5.00 crores), ICAR (Rs.5.00 crores) and the Ministry of Health(Rs.5.00 crores).
(ii) The Committee recommended Rs. 0.50 lakhs to each of the 10 States, namely, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab and Bihar. This will require Rs.5.00 crores.
(iii) Financial assistance should be given for establishment of new Academies/Boards in the States of Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur at the rate of Rs.1.00 crore for each State. This will require Rs.3.000 crores.
(iv) For the development of text books in local languages - Lepcha, Nepali and Limboo in Sikkim and Kakbaraka in Tripura, assistance of Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore should be taken for this purpose. The Committee has recommended a grant of 0.25 lakhs for each language which comes to a total of Rs.1.00 crore.
The recommendations made by the Kolhatkar Committee involve a total sum of Rs.34.00 crores for implementation of this scheme in 9th Plan, out of which Rs.24.00 crores will need to be contributed by the Department of Education and the remaining Rs.10.00 crores will need to be contributed by the ICAR and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the rate of Rs.5 crores each. If it is decided not to accept the recommendations of the Committee in regard to the National Consortium, then Rs.9 crores only will be required for implementation of the scheme during 9th Plan and the entire money will be provided by Department of Education. The Working Group considered the proposal and recommends its continuance during the 9th Plan period with the budget provision of Rs.2400 lakhs. Year-wise phasing of the
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expenditure during the Plan period is as under:-
(Rs. in lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
500.00 500.00 500.00 500.00 400.00 2400.00
B)-NEW SCHEMES
The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology have also proposed the following two new schemes, (which could not be placed before the sub-group):-
(i) Establishment of Audio-visual Laboratory.
(ii) Awards for thesis written in Hindi in any Science subject using terminology evolved by C.S.T.T.
The 9th Plan requirement for these new schemes is Rs.50.00 lakh. Year-wise phasing of the Expenditure during the plan period is as under:-
(Rs. in lakhs)
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 Total
10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 50.00
3. KENDRIYA HINDI SHIKSHAN MANDAL, AGRA. The Kendriya Hindi Shikshan Mandal, Agra is a fully funded autonomous organisation under the Department of Education. It runs an institution called the "Kendriya Hindi Sansthan", Agra with five regional Centres in Delhi, Mysore, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Shilling. The Sansthan is responsible for the propagation and expansion of the uses of Hindi and its teaching in a specific language usage; survey of the tribal languages and primary education through their mother-tongue and gradual switching in Hindi from their mother tongue; teaching through correspondence courses to the in-service Hindi teachers; and orientation courses for the short-term duration for teachers deputed by the State Governments, Hindi propagating agents and other agencies. In addition, following activities have also been allotted to the KHS:-
(a) Hindi teaching material production.
(b) Teaching and training programme for the foreigners.
(c) Functional Hindi and socio-linguistic survey.
(d) Correspondence courses in Hindi.
(e) Tribal language research and material production; and
(f) Extension service and orientation programmes.
2. Details of the continuing schemes and new schemes proposed to be implemented by KHSM during the 9th Plan period are
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indicated below:-
A - CONTINUING SCHEMES
(Rs. in lakhs)
1. Strengthening of the scheme for Training 70.00
and Research in Functional Hindi.
2. Strengthening of the scheme for production 70.00
of Graded Readers for North Eastern States
and Union Territories.
3. Strengthening of the scheme for orientation/ 70.00
Refresher Courses.
4. Expansion of B.Ed. level Diploma of 60.00
Hindi Teachers of non-Hindi speaking States
10 months residential teaching programme.
5. Strengthening and expansion of B.Ed. level 70.00
Diploma in Hindi Teaching through corres-
pondence-cum-contact course.
6. Strengthening of Language Technology and 100.00
Audio-visual material unit especially for
tribal areas.
The total financial requirement for the continuing of these schemes during 9th Plan period is Rs. 440.00 lakhs. Year-wise phasing of expenditure during the plan periods is as under:-