Breaking Language Barriers: MP Engineering College Launches Hindi-Medium Civil Engineering Course
In a significant push to democratize technical education, a prominent engineering college in Madhya Pradesh has launched a B.Tech course in civil engineering conducted entirely in Hindi. This initiative, designed to align with the National Education Policy (NEP), aims to provide students from Hindi-medium backgrounds with a more inclusive learning environment.
The program has been introduced at the Shri G S Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) in Indore, one of the most prestigious technical institutions in central India. According to officials, the course has been rolled out for the current academic session with an initial intake of 30 seats, 20 of which have already been filled.
To further encourage enrollment and recognize the efforts of these students, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced a financial incentive of Rs 2 lakh, which will be awarded to students upon the successful completion of their final year.
Addressing the ‘Language Gap’
The decision to offer the course in Hindi stems from a long-standing observation by faculty members. Sunil Ajmera, head of the civil engineering department at SGSITS, noted that many students who transition from Hindi-medium schools to English-medium engineering programs often struggle with the curriculum, leading to instances of mid-course dropouts.
“Keeping this aspect in mind, the B.Tech civil engineering course has begun in Hindi so that students can study and appear for examinations in their mother tongue,” Ajmera explained.
The preparation for this shift was extensive. Vivek Tiwari, an assistant professor in the department, revealed that faculty experts spent the last four years translating complex technical study materials from English into Hindi. Additionally, the institute conducted rigorous training workshops to equip teachers with the pedagogical skills necessary to deliver technical lectures in Hindi.
Bridging Proficiency and Inclusion
While the primary instruction is in Hindi, the institute remains mindful of the global professional landscape. Faculty members emphasize that the goal is not to isolate students from English, but to ensure they grasp complex technical concepts first in their mother tongue, while simultaneously honing their English proficiency to remain competitive in the job market.
For students, the impact is already palpable. “For me, studying civil engineering in English would have meant taking help from Google and ChatGPT to understand difficult subjects,” said Rohit Sharma, a student enrolled in the new batch. “But while studying in my mother tongue Hindi, teachers can explain even technical terms in English easily.”
As the state continues to refine its approach to the Hindi-medium civil engineering course, it stands as a pilot case for how higher education can evolve to be more accessible, ensuring that language does not become a barrier to technical excellence in India.
