Regional Language vs. English as Instructional Medium in Higher Education: the Indian Dilemma

repr. from Feb. 1988
Chapter 13 of Krishnamurti
Language, Education and Society


At Independence, the regional Language was the medium of instruction from Primary to High school. English was taught as a subject from the 5th or 6th standard.

At the Intermediate, 4-year (degree) colleges, and University English was medium for all subjects except modern language or classical language. This pattern emerged after a century of conflict (Anglicists vs. the Orientalists); the 1835 Maccaulay Minute, where English was to be used for useful knowledge .

Vernacular Education was championed by Brian Houghton Hodgson (of the Brit. East India Company ) plus Wilson (a missionary). The conflict ended in 1854, when Gov. Gen'l of INdia, in a dispatch on education (1854) directed the gov't to use vernacular medium to reach middle and lower strata of society; but not implemented systematically for next 7 decades(!)

After Mutiny, power was transferred to the Crown. Still in 1882, 60% of primary schools operated in English. Lord Curzon, Vice-Roy of India (1898-1905) made sweeping changes in ed. policy:

Resolution on Educational Policy of the GOI (21, Feb. 1930) established vernacular schools from primary to secondary. The Saddler Commission (1917) reaffirmed that education was unsound if vernacular language was not known.

  1. At Independence, there was recognition of 15 languages of the 8th schedule, this amounting to 87% of the population.
  2. Linguistic States were reorganized in 1956 (and 1960)
  3. University Education Commission of 1949: English should be replaced asap for higher ed.
  4. Educational Commissions of 1964-66 proposed that mother=-tongue be used up to highest levels (i.e. instruction and exams) but English be retained for library and as a subject.

As usual, implementation was haphazard .