 APPENDIX H-
MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION AT THE
 MATRICULATION STAGE FOR
 STUDENTS WHO HAVE STUDIED IN
 THEIR MOTHER TONGUE WHICH IS
 DIFFERENT FROM THE REGIONAL
 LANGUAGE PRESCRIBED AS THE
 NORMAL MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION.

At their 16th meeting held at Cuttack in January 1950, the Central Advisory Board of Education considered the resolution of the Education Ministrers' Conference hold in August 1949 on the question of the medium of instructions in schools. The basic principle underlying the resolution was that students in schools should as far as possible, be given facilities for learning the non-language subjects through the medium of their mother tongue when it is different from the regional or state language.

2. The Government of Orissa have implemented this decision up to the secondary classes and have permitted students to take their examinations in the language in which they have received instruction. The State Government wish to apply this principle to the Matriculation Examination, but have come up against the decision of the Utkal University to allow only English and Oriya as the medium of examination for the Matriculation Examination which is conducted under its auspices. The decision of the Utkal University has given rise to protests from the quarters affected.

The contention of the Orissa Government is that the resolution regarding the medium of instruction in schools has not been implemented by all the States, so that there is no uniformity in this matter and it has also pointed out that the trouble is partly due to the fact that the resolution does not specifically lay down the principle to be followed in the matter of the medium of examination.

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The view expressed by the Utkal University is that they would be prepared to, allow other languages as media of examination for the Matriculation examination if other Universities allow similar concessions.

3. Though it is not specifically stated in the resolution on the medium of instruction it is perfectly obvious that the medium of instruction and examination should be the same, as otherwise the whole point of the concession given by the resolution to students speaking the minority languages will be lost.

So far as the Government of India are aware the resolution on the medium of instruction in schools is being implemented by all State Governments except Madhya Pradesh, with whom the matter is still under consideration.

4. The Board's views are solicited on this matter to enable uniform policy to be adopted in keeping with the terms of the Resolution on the medium of instruction in schools.

APPENDIX H- MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION AT THE MATRICULATION STAGE FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE STUDIED IN THEIR MOTHER TONGUE WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE REGIONAL LANGUAGE PRESCRIBED AS THE NORMAL MEDIUM OF EXAMINATION.