 LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The Programme of Action drawn up in relation to the National Education Policy 1986, has identified the following thrust areas for language development:-

- Promotion and Development of Hindi. - Promotion and Development of modern.

Indian languages and English; and

- Development of Sanskrit.

Steps taken for promotion and development of Hindi

i) The Central assistance for appointment of Hindi teachers in Non- Hindi speaking States has been enhanced from 50% to 100%. During the current financial year Rs. 188 lakhs has been sanctioned for this purpose. So far 5000 Hindi teachers have been appointed by the various non-Hindi speaking States/UTs.

ii) Similar assistance (100%) has also been made available for estab- lishment of Hindi Teachers Training Colleges. During the current financial year Rs.5.56 lakhs has been sanctioned in this respect. So far 19 Colleges/ Wings in different States have been benefit- ted under the scheme. During the current financial year, Rs.31 lakhs has been sanctioned in favour of Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras.

iii) The Central grant is also made available to voluntary organisa- tions for meeting expenditure on Hindi teachers training colleges under the scheme of financial assistance to voluntary organisa- tions for promotion of Hindi. Three colleges run by Karnataka Mahila Hindi Seva Samiti, Bangalore, One college run by Karnataka Hindi Prachar Sabha, Bangalore and six colleges run by Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras have been benefitted under this scheme. The annual capacity of training of Hindi teachers in these colleges is about 650 teachers.

iv) Hindi is being taught to foreign students both in the Delhi Centre of Kendriya Hindi Sansthan and Central Hindi Directorate, New Delhi through regular classes and correspondence courses respectively. While the number of foreign students ranges be- tween 50 to 100, as on date the number of students covered by the correspondence course has gone up to 20,000.

v) As on date the Central Hindi Directorate has published a number of bilingual (9), trilingual (5), multilingual (1) dictionaries. It is also in the process of publishing (6) Hindi foreign language dictionaries to facilitate better access of foreigners to Hindi. It has also published (4) bilingual conversational guides for the convenience of tourists and students.

vi) A number of glossaries containing equivalent of more than 4 lakh technical terms in humanities, science, agriculture, engineering, medicine, forestry, sports, space and electronics in Hindi have been published by the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology. These are being extensively used at the University level. The CSTT has produced and published a number of Universi- ty level text books (284); it has also translated 2000 original books into Hindi covering a variety of disciplines. All these will considerably improve the accessability of non-Hindi speaking people in the field of Science and Technology.

vii) The CSTT has organised 7 workshops so far in the Universities where the University College level teachers have been guided in the use of Hindi for teaching purposes through the terminology evolved by it.

viii)Amongst other measures which are being used to facilitate learn- ing of Hindi by the non-Hindi speaking population, the following measures deserve specific mention:

a) Organising study tours in Hindi speaking areas. b) Releasing travel grant to research scholars of non-Hindi speaking areas. c) Organising lecture tours for scholars.

So far 35 study tours and 190 lecture tours have been organised and have produced salutory impact.

ix) A Review Committee on Hindi to assess the quantum and quality of work for development and propagation of Hindi being done in the Central Government language institutions was set up in January 1987 under the Chair- manship of Shri Kireet Joshi, Special Secretary. The Committee submitted a comprehensive report on 31.8.87 covering all aspects of development of Hindi Language. The recommendations contained in the report are being processed for implementation.

x) A Special Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Sudershan Prasad Singh was constituted in January 1987 in pursuance of the recommendations of the Hindi Shiksha Samiti with the objectives of assessing and considering the status of Hindi Language at the primary, secondary and university level. The Committee after a thorough study submitted its report with 28 recommendations on 17.7.87. These recommendations were considered by the Executive Standing Committee of the Hindi Shiksha Samiti in its meeting held on 29.1.88. These have there after been sent to the concerned officers/Departments for necessary action.

xi) In order to facilitate the gradual adoption of Indian languages as a media of instruction at the Uni- versity stage, a scheme was introduced in 1968-69 to provide central assistance of Rs. One crore to each of the 15 participating States for production of University level text books (in various disciplines) in Indian languages. A Committee was set up in March, 1987 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Suresh Dalal for making a criti- cal review of the implementation of this scheme. The Committee completed its work in December 1987 and sub- mitted its report on 13.1.88. The recommendations of the Committee are being examined.

xii) A Committee was constituted in 1983 to work out details for the proposal of establishing of Vishva Hindi Vidya Peeth (International Hindi University). The Committee has completed its work and drafted a Bill to this effect which has since been vetted by the Ministry of Law (Legislative Department). Further follow up action to introduce the Bill is being taken.

Steps taken for promotion and development of modern Hindi Languages and English

i) The CIIL Mysore which was set up in July 1969 has established four regional language teaching centres and two Urdu teaching centres for providing training to teachers in 13 Indian languages. It has been functioning as a pioneer institution concerning all matters relating to the develop- ment of modern Indian languages in the country and abroad.

ii) The CIIL has initiated a number of steps for improve- ment of language competencies of students in Modern Indian Languages. These are:

a) A seminar was conducted in Guwahati to concretise learning objectives in language teaching with Assamese as an example. This is being gradually extended to all other languages.

b) The sample tests for measuring lauguage proficiency have been prepared in 4 languages during a workshop at Bhubaneswar in February, 1987. The skills to be measured for this purpose have already been identified.

c) About 12,000 test items are being identified in all major languages for field testing and standardisation.

iii) The CIIL has covered 57 tribal languages under its programme to research, training and material production. So far 60 books have been published by the Institutes on tribal languages.

iv) The Bureau for Promotion of Urdu founded in 1977 for promotion and development of Urdu has set up 31 calligraphy centres which include four centres exclusively for women. These centres benefit about 1000 students in learning of Urdu calligraphy. The Bureau has compiled an Urdu encyclopaedia on 12 volumes and one English-Urdu dictionary is under finalisation. The Bureau has also published 572 books in Urdu language and published glossaries for 7 subjects for University level books.

v) The Sindhi Cell in the Central Hindi Directorate has contributed to the promotion of the Sindhi in the following manner:-

a) Bulk purchase of Sindhi books for free distribution to approved libraries, Institutions etc. to the extent of Rs. 1.50 to 2.00 lakhs.

b) Award of 5 prizes to standard Sindhi books selected every year, the award money is Rs. 2,500/- for each.

c) Holding of national seminars on literary topics in Sindhi.

d) Holding of national seminars on literary topics in Sindhi.

e) Holding of neo writers workshops on literary topics in Sindhi.

vi) Work done in the field of translation

In pursuance of the provision in the Programme of Action, a meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Special Secretary on 20.10.87 in which a number of decisions were taken the area of translation of books and preparation of bilingual and multilingual dictionaries. Steps are being taken to set up two new organisations viz. a Central Translation Bureau and a National Institute of Translation so as to systematise the efforts at translation of Indian classics into other Indian languages.

vii) English

a) The Central Institutes of English and Foreign Languages set up in 1958 has designed a number of programmes to improve competency of teachers of English and foreign languages at all levels.

b) In conformity with the outline given in the Programme of Action, 20 District Centres for English language teaching have been sanctioned so far with a view to providing facility for in-service training in English. Of these, 11 District Centres have become functional during the current financial year. These have also served as resource Centres of libraries and audio visual materials and would also be available to adult learners.

c) With a view to undertaking study of language competency of students, the work relating to designing of tests for English proficiency for school level stage has ben entrusted to the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore and H.M. Patel Institute of English Training and Research, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, Gujarat. The first version of the English language competency

test has been put to field test. The revised version thereafter on the basis of field test has also been put to extensive field trial in M.P., U.P. and Orissa. The final version to be considered at the National Level Steering Committee at HM Patel Institute of English Training and Research on 19th March,1988.

d) A scheme has been formulated under which assistance is being provided to some institutions for Inservice training of English Language teachers and production of textual materials. During the current financial year, Rs. 19.67 lakhs have been sanctioned to ELTIs at Bangalore, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar.

Steps taken for promotion of Sanskrit

i) Rashtriya Ved Vidya Pratishthan was set up in August, 1947, with the object of promoting Advance Research in Indol- ogy. Among the first research projects, special attention is being paid to an intensive study of Vedic. pa Mathematics. As a step in this direction, a national level workshop is being held at Jaipur from 26th to 28th March 1988.

ii) Additionally the following steps have been taken to popularise Sanskrit Language and its learning 1987-88.

a) A grant of Rs. 238.70 lakhs has been released to Rash- triya Sanskrit Sansthan for teaching and research in Sanskrit through 8 Sanskrit Vidyapeethas in different parts of the country.

b) Grants to the extent of 95% (recurring) and 75% (non- recurring were sanctioned to 14 adarsha Sanskrit Pathsalas/Sodh Sansthans located in different parts of the country.

c) Grants to the extent of Rs. 51.76 lakhs have been sanctioned to 650 voluntary organisations/ institutions engaged in promotion of Sanskrit.

d) 120 eminent and retired Sanskrit scholars have been appointed in Sanskrit institutions on a consolidated honorar- ium of Rs. 1,000/- per month. A sum of Rs. 5.67 lakhs was spent during 1987-88.

e) Grants to the extent of 95% were sanctioned to 24 Ved Pathsalas in different parts of the country. Inaddition, 16 Vedic Units have been sanctioned cent percent grant for preservation of traditional recitation of different branches of 4 Vedas.

f) Financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 32.65 lakhs has been paid to 1,500 Sanskrit scholars living under indi- gent circumstances.

g) Scholarships to the extent of Rs. 8.75 lakhs have been sanctioned to the students of postmetric, Shastri, Acharya and that of traditional Sanskrit Pathsalas/research scholars.

h) Financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 7.66 lakhs has been sanctioned to individuals/ publishers for production of Sanskrit literature.

i) Financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 1 crore has been sanctioned to Govt. of Kerala for establishment of a Sanskrit University at Kalady.