Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release Hindi texts of three subjects taught in MBBS first year on October 16 at Bhopal. It is part of the Madhya Pradesh government’s initiative to start a Hindi instruction option for the medical course in the state.
The programme will be held at Lal Parade ground in Bhopal at 12 noon in the presence of college students among others.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called it a move aimed at breaking the attitude of servitude towards the English language. “This is a programme to establish Hindi and instil self-confidence in students. Madhya Pradesh is initiating a social revolution, and the message is to eradicate the attitude of servitude to the English language from its root,” Chouhan said.
“Books on three subjects–Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry for MBBS first year-have been prepared by a task force of 16 doctors with inputs for 97 subject experts. Though the matter in the transliterated books is in Hindi, the technical terms have been retained in English but published in Devnagari script, to prevent confusion on technicalities,” Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang said.
The Hindi instruction will be introduced as a pilot project in Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Bhopal from the current academic session (2022-23) and it would be extended to 12 other medical colleges in the state later.
Underlining that the state is the first to launch the MBBS course in Hindi, Sarang said that there is enthusiasm in other Hindi-speaking states about the move and he is getting several calls on the initiative. He said that Hindi medium students work very hard to clear NEET (medical entrance exam), but once they get into the medical course, they face the language barrier. With the course available in Hindi, medical students will find it easier to acquire knowledge.
The move of the MP government has come at a time when voices of protest are rising from southern states about the reported recommendation of a parliamentary panel led by Amit Shah to introduce Hindi (in Hindi-speaking states) and local languages as medium of instruction for higher, medical and technical education courses.
There are several reservations about the move even among teachers and students who point out that since the larger reference material will be available only in English, the students opting for Hindi/local language courses might find it difficult to refer to them. Also, there is apprehension that such a move will restrict career options of graduates to particular regions and make foray into the international arena for higher studies or career difficult.
