Parliament Question: Promotion of National Language Hindi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5029 ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026 Promotion of National Language Hindi †5029. Shri Giridhari Yadav: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the mandatory requirement in a majority of private schools in the country to conduct admission interviews in English coupled with the compulsion to speak and study exclusively in English within the school premises and at home is hindering the development of the National Language, Hindi; (b) if so, whether the Government proposes to formulate any policy or issued guidelines to abolish such compulsions in order to ensure the proper development and promotion of Hindi; (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and (d) the details of other Government schemes and initiatives currently in place for the propagation and promotion of the Hindi language? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, prohibits screening procedures for admission in elementary schools (Classes 1–8) in India, including tests or interviews of children or parents, ensuring equality and fairness in access to education. Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the majority of schools being under the jurisdiction of the State/Union Territory Governments, it is for the respective State/Union, as the "Appropriate Government”, to take action in the matter. However, the National Education Policy(NEP) 2020 mandates using the mother tongue, home language, or local language as the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, and preferably until Grade 8 and beyond. It promotes multilingualism without imposing any language, including Hindi, on any state, focusing on bridging conceptual understanding through native languages. Also, NEP 2020 emphasises that teaching in the mother tongue improves cognitive abilities, academic performance, and preserves cultural heritage.The NEP 2020 explicitly provides for high-quality textbooks, including science, to be made available in home languages/mother tongues, and directs that even where such materials are unavailable, the language of transaction between teachers and students shall remain the home language/mother tongue wherever possible. Teachers are encouraged to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching-learning materials, for students whose home language may differ from the medium of instruction. The Three-Language Formula continues to be implemented with greater flexibility, ensuring that at least two of the three languages studied by a child are native to India. No language shall be imposed on any State or student. ********