New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has recommended that the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical higher education institutes such as IITs in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language.
It also recommended that Hindi should be one of the official languages of the United Nations.
In its 11th report presented to President Droupadi Murmu last month, the Committee of Parliament on Official Language, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, recommended that local languages should be given preference over English in all states.
The committee suggested that in all technical and non-technical institutions in the country, Hindi or local language should be used as the medium of instruction and the use of English should be made optional, sources said.
BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, who is the deputy chairman of the committee, told that the committee has framed the recommendations as per the new National Education Policy which suggested that the medium of instruction should either be official or regional languages.
The committee has suggested that Hindi should be given a respectable place in 'A' category states and it should be used 100 per cent.
The medium of instruction in IITs, central universities and Kendriya Vidyalayas in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language, the panel recommended.
Mahtab said in higher education institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, Hindi is being used only 20-30 per cent, whereas it should be used 100 per cent.
BJP member Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is convenor of the second sub-committee said English is an "alien language" and "we want it to be eliminated" and it should be replaced by Hindi and other regional languages.
"The recommendations are as per the New Education Policy which has emphasised on imparting education in regional and Hindi languages equally," she told.
Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta said the committee recommended that the medium of instruction in 'A' category or Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in the rest of the states, it should be in the respective local languages.
All states and Union territories are divided in three groups (regions) on the basis of progressive usage of Hindi.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in category 'A'; Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, and the Union territories of Chandigarh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in category 'B'; and the rest of India is categorised as 'C'.