Three-language formula

The Three-language formula is a formula of language learning formulated by the Union Education Ministry of the Government of India in consultation with the states. The formula as enunciated in the 1968 National Policy Resolution provided the study of "Hindi, English and modern Indian language (preferably one of the southern languages) in the Hindi speaking states and Hindi, English and the Regional language in the non-Hindi speaking States".[1]

The formula was formulated in response to demands from non-Hindi speaking states, such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and mainly Tamil Nadu.

Currently, the three language system is not followed in Tamil Nadu due to efforts of C. N. Annadurai.

History

The first recommendation for a three-language policy was made by the University Education Commission (1948-1949). The 1948 commission declared the study of three languages not to be an extravagant requirement, citing Holland and Switzerland as precedents. While accepting that Hindi was itself a minority language, and had no superiority over others such as Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu and Braj all of which had a longer history and greater body of literature, the commission still foresaw Hindi eventually replacing English as the means by which every province may participate in Federal functions.[2]

The Education Commission of 1965-1966 recommended a modified or graduated three-language formula. Following some debate, the original three-language formula was adopted by the India Parliament in 1968.[3]

In 1972 the government launched a committee for promotion of Urdu under the Chairmanship of Shri I. K. Gujral. The report produced by the committee in 1975 recommended safeguards for significant (ie greater than 10%) Urdu-speaking minorities which included the use of Urdu for official purposes and as a medium of instruction. Following consideration of the report by the Cabinet in 1979, and by the Taraqqui-e-Urdu Board from 1979 to 1983, modified proposals from the Gujral committee were passed on to the state governments in 1984. [4]

The 1986 National Policy on Education reiterated the 1968 formula.[1]

A new committee of experts was launched in 1990 under the chairmanship of Ali Sardar Jafri to examine implementation of the Gujral committee recommendations. This committee recommended modifying the three-language formula to "In Hindi speaking States: (a) Hindi (with Sanskrit as part of the composite course); (b) Urdu or any other modern Indian language and (c) English or any other modern European language. In non-Hindi speaking States: (a) the regional language; (b) Hindi; (c) Urdu or any other modern Indian language excluding (a) and (b); and (d) English or any other modern European language".[1]

Criticism

C. N. Annadurai, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, opposed the requirement to learn Hindi in Tamil Nadu, saying "What serves to link us with the outside world is certainly capable of rendering the same service inside India as well. To plead for two link languages is like boring a smaller hole in a wall for the kitten while there is a bigger one for the cat. What suits the cat will suit the kitten as well."[5]

Look up honor in the breach in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Harold F. Schiffman, Professor Emeritus of Dravidian Linguistics and Culture at the University of Pennsylvania, observed that the formula is "has been honored in the breach more than in reality" (ie broken more often than followed), and that due the lack of a symbolic national language, there is a tendency "for English to take over as the instrumental language".[6]

Brian Weinstein, Emeritus Professor of Political Science of Howard University, said that "neither Hindi nor non-Hindi speaking states followed the (1968) directive".[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Three Language Formula". Government Of India Ministry Of Human Resource Development Department Of Education. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Report of the University Education Commission (December 1948 - August 1949) Volume I" (PDF). Ministry of Education, Government of India. 1962. p. 280. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Every boy and girl must obviously know the regional language, at the same time he should be acquainted with the Federal language, and should acquire the ability to read books in English.
  3. 1 2 Weinstein, Brian (1990). Language Policy and Political Development. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 95. ISBN 0-89391-611-0. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Gujral Committee Report on Urdu". Language In India. 8 May 1975. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Anna and the Dravidian Movement". South Asia Masala. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  6. ↑ Schiffman, Harold. "Indian Linguistic Culture and the Genesis of Language Policy in the Subcontinent".

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.