India's Shift to Indian Languages in STEM Education

Empowering STEM Education Through Indian Languages: Challenges and Global Impacts

Introduction

On June 7, 2025, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced a transformative shift in India’s education system, prioritizing Indian and local languages as the medium of instruction over English dominance, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This policy emphasizes mother tongue instruction to enhance inclusivity, preserve cultural identity, and improve learning outcomes, particularly in science and technology education. However, its success depends on addressing challenges in teacher availability, faculty readiness, and resource materials in regional languages, especially for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. Additionally, this shift impacts international universities in India and multilingual education systems globally. This article explores these dimensions, offering recommendations for effective implementation.

Alignment with NEP 2020

The NEP 2020 advocates for mother tongue instruction until at least Grade 5, preferably Grade 8, and promotes a three-language formula balancing two Indian languages with English. It seeks to strengthen languages like Hindi, Tamil, and Sanskrit, fostering linguistic diversity. Pradhan’s announcement extends this vision to higher education, including engineering, medicine, and technology, traditionally taught in English. The policy aligns with the NIPUN Bharat Mission’s goal of universal foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026-27, aiming to make STEM education accessible and culturally relevant through regional languages.

Policy Details and Objectives

The policy shift outlines several key directions:

• Primary Medium of Instruction: Higher education institutions will increasingly adopt regional languages for professional courses over the coming years.

• Curriculum Development: The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), expected in 2025, will guide integration of Indian languages into curricula, including textbooks and digital resources.

• Teacher Training: Programs like NISHTHA will equip educators to teach in regional languages.

• Digital Support: Platforms like DIKSHA, offering content in 32 Indian languages, will provide accessible materials.

Objectives:

• Inclusivity: Reduce barriers for non-English-speaking students, especially in rural areas.

• Cultural Identity: Strengthen linguistic heritage.

• Learning Outcomes: Enhance understanding through mother tongue instruction.

• Economic Mobility: Increase STEM access, reducing dropout rates and boosting employability.

Challenges in Implementation

Teacher Availability with Regional Language Proficiency

• Current Landscape: India faces a shortage of over 1 million teachers, particularly in rural schools serving 150 million students. Many urban teachers are trained in English, while rural teachers lack science expertise.

• Challenges: Recruiting teachers fluent in regional languages for STEM is difficult. Scaling NISHTHA for specialized subjects and addressing low teacher motivation in rural areas are hurdles.

• Opportunities: Expand NISHTHA to train 5 million teachers annually, recruit local talent, and use DIKSHA for digital training.

Faculty Readiness for Science and Technology

• Current Landscape: Faculty in institutes like IITs use English for instruction and research. Few are trained to teach complex concepts in regional languages.

• Challenges: Developing technical vocabularies, retraining faculty, and overcoming resistance in elite institutions are significant.

• Opportunities: AI-driven translation tools, partnerships with regional universities, and incentives like research grants can support faculty.

Resource Material Availability in Regional Languages

• Current Landscape: Science textbooks in regional languages are scarce, especially for higher education. DIKSHA offers 3,200 animated lessons in 32 languages, but STEM content is limited.

• Challenges: Creating high-quality materials, ensuring academic rigor, and distributing to rural areas are resource intensive.

• Opportunities: Scale DIKSHA for advanced STEM content, leverage public-private partnerships, and use open educational resources (OER).

Broader Implementation Hurdles

• Curriculum Alignment: Private schools aligned with CBSE or ICSE may struggle to adopt the NCF’s multilingual framework.

• Socio-Economic Barriers: Marginalized communities face limited access to books and parental support.

• Post-COVID Recovery: Low reading proficiency underscores the need for robust interventions.

• English Proficiency: Balancing regional languages with English, critical for global STEM, is a challenge.

Impact on International Universities and Other Countries

International Universities in India

• Curriculum Adaptation: International universities using English must adapt curricula, hire faculty proficient in regional languages, and develop new materials, increasing costs.

• Student Recruitment: The shift may deter urban students seeking English-based global qualifications but attract rural students, diversifying enrollment.

• Research Collaboration: Faculty relying on English for global networks may face challenges unless English remains strong, risking isolation.

• Regulatory Compliance: NEP 2020 pushes alignment with national goals, potentially straining university autonomy.

Other Countries

• Inspiration: Countries like Nigeria or Indonesia may adopt India’s multilingual model to address similar challenges.

• Global Talent: Graduates with varying English proficiency may impact India’s STEM talent supply to countries like the US or UK, requiring adjusted recruitment.

• Educational Exports: Regional language programs could limit appeal to English-speaking international students but create niche markets (e.g., Sanskrit studies).

• Diaspora Education: Indian diaspora in the UAE or Canada may demand regional language resources, strengthening cultural ties.

• Technology Transfer: India’s EdTech innovations, like AI translation tools, could benefit multilingual countries.

Challenges for Global Integration:

• Reduced English proficiency may hinder global STEM competitiveness.

• Lack of standardized regional language terminology could limit academic exchanges.

• Resource sharing with English-based international universities may be difficult.

Opportunities:

• Cultural exchange through unique language programs can enhance India’s soft power.

• EdTech partnerships can export solutions to countries like South Africa.

• Bilingual models can inspire global multilingual education.

Implications for Science and Technology Education

• Accessibility: Regional languages can increase STEM enrollment by reducing language barriers.

• Innovation: Inclusive education can tap diverse talent for fields like AI or biotechnology.

• Global Competitiveness: English proficiency must be maintained for international collaboration.

• Cultural Relevance: Local examples in science texts can enhance engagement.

Recommendations

1. Teacher Training: Prioritize NISHTHA for STEM in regional languages, targeting rural educators.

2. Faculty Development: Launch training with AI translation support.

3. Resource Investment: Fund STEM textbook development via DIKSHA and partnerships.

4. Pilot Programs: Test regional language instruction in technical institutes.

5. Hybrid Approach: Maintain English as a secondary STEM language.

6. Global Collaboration: Partner with international universities for bilingual curricula and EdTech solutions.

Conclusion

The shift toward Indian languages, announced by Dharmendra Pradhan, aligns with NEP 2020’s vision of inclusivity but faces challenges in teacher availability, faculty readiness, and STEM resource materials in regional languages. Strategic investments in NISHTHA, DIKSHA, and partnerships are essential. Internationally, the policy challenges universities in India to adapt while inspiring multilingual education globally, though balancing English proficiency is critical for STEM competitiveness. By addressing these hurdles, India can empower students to excel in science and technology, embracing their linguistic heritage while contributing to a globalized world.