Venkaiah Naidu emphasises using regional languages in schools

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu called upon states to implement NEP and said using regional languages in schools is important.

While addressing a gathering after presenting the Dr C Narayana Reddy National Literary Award to Odia writer Dr Pratibha Ray here, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu stressed using regional languages in foundational education and called upon state governments to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in letter and spirit.

He recalled the “invaluable contribution” of Dr C Narayana Reddy to the Telugu language and literature and said that his writings have mesmerised the Telugu people, as reported by NDTV.

He referred to Dr Reddy's epic work 'Vishwambhara' which earned him the Jnanpith award and said it describes beautifully the intricate relationship between man and nature.

"As a Parliamentarian, Dr Reddy gave many constructive suggestions in Rajya Sabha, and passionately strove for the use of mother tongue in education," he said.

"A prolific writer in Odia language, Dr Ray's novels and short stories are widely acclaimed and touch upon important social issues. She was the recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 2011, Padma Shri in 2007 and the Padma Bhushan in 2022," he added.

Venkaiah Naidu's statements on International Mother Languages Day in February

In February this year while addressing an event organized by the Ministry of Earth Science on the occasion of International Mother Languages Day, he said, "Language is a fundamental bond that unites people and the drive to protect and preserve mother tongues should become a people’s movement in the country. If we lose our mother tongue, we will lose our identity.”

During the event, he reiterated the need to offer technical courses in Indian languages to make education truly inclusive and to unlock the full potential of our youth force. Citing the example of several developed countries such as Japan, France, and Germany that impart education in their respective mother tongues, he suggested learning from their policies and strategies for preservation and promotion of the mother tongue. He urged the state governments to take a proactive stance in implementing Indian languages in every walk of life. All states must use the mother tongue of the people as the language of administration and also as a medium of education, he said.

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