The state government is going all out to encourage and promote higher education programmes in Marathi. Deepak Kesarkar, the state minister of school education and guardian minister of Mumbai city, has said that after launching Marathi coursework for engineering and polytechnic last year, similar arrangements will be made in medical and chartered accountant (CA) courses too.

“Efforts are underway to provide higher education in the mother tongue across the country. The education imparted in the mother tongue is understood more effectively. While more engineering courses will be available in Marathi from June this  year, medical education and chartered accountant (CA) can also be opted in Marathi very soon,” he assured.

The minister said that many students who have the aptitude and talent for engineering and still struggle with English will benefit from this. According to him, this will help Maharashtra generate engineers, doctors and scientists of the highest caliber. “This is also mentioned in the new National Education Policy. And we are prioritising imparting education in the mother tongue or regional language,” said a senior official from the higher education department.

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In November last year, the state government’s Higher and Technical Education department, jointly with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), launched 20 textbooks for engineering courses, both degree and diploma, in Marathi. All 20 texts cover the first year of engineering courses, this included 11 for diploma and nine for degree. The goal is to improve students understanding of fundamental concepts, particularly in Marathi medium schools. As part of the new NEP, the AICTE is working to offer engineering education in various Indian languages. A group of teachers and topic specialists from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere in Maharashtra have translated these textbooks. AICTE, which offers engineering textbooks in 11 additional Indian languages, will also make soft versions of these textbooks available on E-Kumbh.

At the inaugural function of Dawoodi Bohra communities at Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Arabic Academy campus in Mumbai on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had asserted the need for education in the mother tongue.

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