Aligning Higher Education to NEP by Introducing Learning in Mother tongue

Abstract

India's National Education Policy (NEP) is an ambitious plan to improve the country's educational infrastructure and help students grow holistically. A central tenet of this approach is the promotion of instruction in the mother tongue at all educational levels. This study emphasizes the importance of higher education in the mother tongue as advocated by the NEP. Furthermore, we focus on the necessity of incorporating regional languages into engineering education to align with this educational approach. The advantages of teaching in one's mother tongue in higher education are outlined, along with some of the difficulties that may arise. This article synthesizes the literature and provides evidence for the cognitive, sociocultural, and linguistic benefits of utilizing a student's mother tongue as the medium of teaching in higher education. Additionally, the ways in which this strategy can improve students' understanding, critical thinking, and overall academic achievement are investigated. In order to put into practice the goals of the National Education Policy, a pilot project was conducted to examine the effects of providing education in Marathi for aspiring engineers. The project's goal was to learn more about the efficacy and practicality of incorporating mother tongue-based learning in higher education by analyzing academic achievement and talking to students. The results of the pilot research provide useful insight into discussions about bringing higher education in line with the NEP through the use of mother-tongue education.By adopting this approach, India can better prepare its students for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.