LANGUAGE POLICY DURING THE

POST-INDEPENDENCE INDIA
INTRODUCTION
India gained its independence in 1947,
there were attempts to evolve a policy that
would be more suitable to the needs of a
self-governing India than that which was
in effect in the British Raj, a policy that
favoured English
Some of the developments that had be taken
into consideration were such as the
following
1. Gandhi’s recommendation to replace
English with Hindustani(not Hindi, not
Urdu).
2.Congress Party’s language policy
favouring Hindi (not Hindustani) and the
first protests about his in the 1930’s.
3. The feeling in some non-Hindi areas that
Delhi was ‘not our country’ and Hindi ‘not
our language’.
1,. Historical Development of Language
Policy
Educational planning is done keeping in mind
the needs of the society. The policies of the
government are implemented are:
(1) Three language policy recommended by
Dr. Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar (1952-
53)
(2) Three language policy recommendation by
Kothari Commission
(3) Three language formula and National
Policy of Education (1968)
(1). Three language policy recommended by
Dr. Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar (1952-53)

Secondary education commission Dr.

Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar has given two
types of recommendations in his report regarding
languages.
Type I: Three Languages are to be taught to
the students
i. Mother tongue or state language
ii. English
iii. One other Indian language different from
mother tongue.
According to this region which has Hindi
as mother tongue should teach a south
Indian language and where mother tongue
is any language other than Hindi, Hindi
should be taught as a third language.
Type II: Two Language formula to be
adopted
i. Mother tongue or state language
ii. English or any other Indian language
For emotional integration of the
country every child should be taught the
other Indian language from class IV to V.
this language would be some Indian
language of south in Hindus speaking areas
and national language
(2). Three language policy recommendation
by Kothari Commission

The report on education and National

Development headed by Dr. Kothari (Dr.
Daulat Sing Kothari 1964-66) has
proposed some suggestions while
supporting the three language formula
 a.

a. Three languages should be taught to students and teaching of four languages should not compulsory at any state.

i. At lower primary only mother tongue or

state language should be taught.
ii. In higher primary union language and
one other modern Indian Language is to
be tangent.
iii. At higher stage there should be no
compulsion of languages.
a. The study of English would be useful for the
students but it should not begin before class
V.
b. After mother tongue, Hindi should be
occupied as a second important state
language.
c. Classical language such as Sanskrit, Persian
or Arabic should not be compulsory at any
stage
d. Train teachers in language teaching
(3). Three language formula and National
Policy of education, 1968
1968 policy on education observed “at the
secondary stage, the state governments
should adopt and vigorously implement the
three language formula which includes the
study of a modern Indian language
preferably one of the southern language
apart from Hindi and English in the
speaking states and of Hindi along with
regional language and English in non Hindi
speaking states
Protests in South India
 Series of protests regarding imposition of Hindi as
official language occurred during both pre-and post
independence periods in south India and especially in
the state of Tamil Nadu
i. In 1937, the first anti-Hindi imposition agitation was
launched in opposition to the introduction of
compulsory teaching of Hindi by the first Indian
national congress government led by C.Rajagopalachari
in the Madras presidency schools. This move was
immediately opposed by E.V. Ramasamy and the
opposition justice party(later Dravidar Kazhagam)
ii. After Independence Hindi was adopted as
the official language of India with English
continuing as an associate official language for
a period of fifteen years, after which Hindi
would become the sole official language.
iii. Efforts by the Indian Government to make
Hindi the sole official language after 1965 were
not acceptable to many non-Hindi Indian states,
who wanted the continued use of English.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK), a
descendant of Dravidar Kazhakam, led the
opposition to Hindi.
Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru enacted the
Official language Act in 1963 to ensure the
continuing use of English beyond 1965.
The Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahdhur
Shastri gave assurance that English would
continue to be used as the official language as
long as non-Hindi speaking states wanted.
iv. In 1967, to guarantee the indefinite use
of Hindi and English as official languages
the congress government headed by Indira
Gandhi amended the Official Language Act
The Official Language Act of 1963

Accordingly, the official Language Act,

1963 (amended in 1967) provides for
continuing the use of English in official
work even after 25 January 1965. The act
also lays down that both Hindi and English
shall compulsorily be used for certain
specified other reports, press communiqués;
administrative and other reports and official
papers to be laid before the houses of
Parliament.
In 1968 the Ministry of Education of the
Government of India in consultation with
the states formulated the three-language
formula for language learning.
The formula enunciated in the 1968
National Policy Resolution which
provided for the study of Hindi, English
and modern Indian language in the non-
Hindi speaking states.
Revised Draft National Education Policy
1. Recently the Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MHRD) has come
up with the revised draft of National
Education Policy (NEP) 2019, which
suggests giving flexibility over choice of
language under three language model in
schools after protests over Hindi imposition
in non-Hindi speakin states
2. The revised draft mentions that since the
modular Board examinations for language
proficiency will indeed test only for basic
proficiency in each language.
3. Revised draft further added, the
additional choice of languages would
therefore be offered in middle school for
this purpose of choice and flexibility
 Efforts Taken to Resolve
the Language Issue in the
Post- Independent India
1. The Language Problem in Education

When India got Independence, English

was the Official Language. After
Independence, people of each state
expressed the view that their own regional
language should be state language, be the
administrative language as well as the
language of educational instruction.
2.Changes that took Place in Language
Policy in the Post-Independent
Mother tongue or regional language has
gained acceptance as the medium of
instruction at schools.
Immediately sfter our Independence,
‘Basic Education’ was adopted as the
‘National Policy of Education’ of the
Indian Constitution.
Hindi with ‘Devanagari Script was made the
official language of the Indian Union,
though English was also allowed to continue
as the associate official language alongside,
for periods of 15 years.
Accordingly, on. 26th January 1965, Hindi
was declared as the sole official language of
the Indian Union, upon which anti-Hindi
agitations took place in different parts of the
country
In Tamil Nadu the agitation was intensive
and wide spread resulting in loss of life
among the student community.
Following the violent turn of events,
Nehruji, prime minister gave an assurance
in the Indian Parliament that English will
continue as the ‘Associate Official
Language along with Hindi.
For the promotion and propagation of Hindi,
various ‘National Development Programmes’
were undertaken by the Central Ministry of
education are:
a. Liberal financial grants for voluntary service
organisations working for the promotion of Hindi
b. Establishment and maintenance of specialized
institutions like the Dakshina Bharath Hindi
Prachar Sabha, to undertake research and training
programmes for producing Hindi teachers.
C. Grant of scholarship for those students in
Non-Hindi speaking areas who opt for the
study of Hindi.
d. Efforts were taken to publish a Hindi
Encyclopaedia with 10 volumes.
e. Central Hindi Directorate was started for
the promotion of Hindi.
3.Recommendations of Secondary
Education Commission
Secondary Education Commission
appointed in 1952, under the chairmanship
of Dr. A Lakshmanasamy Mudaliar, in its
report submitted in 1954 recommended the
following ‘Language Problem:
i. Mother tongue or the regional language
should generally be the medium of
instruction throughout the secondary
education stage.
ii. During the middle school stage, every child should be taught at
least two languages. Junior secondary stage, Hindi and English
should be introduced.
iii. At the high and higher secondary stages, everyone is required
to learn at least two languages in all
 Mother tongue or the regional language.
 One or more language should be chosen from the among the
following
 Hindi, (mother tongue not in Hindi)
 Elementary English(not learned English in the earlier stage)
 Advanced English(studied English in earlier stage)
 Modern Indian Language(other than ?Hindi)
 A classical Language
4.Three Language Formula
The Central Advisory Board of Education
in 1956 examined the complex problem of
the teaching of language in relation to the
needs of the country and the requirements
of the Constitutions. It is known as Three
Language Formula
It was accepted by the Conference of Chief
Ministers held in 1961 and approved by the
National Integration Council.
According to the Three-Language
Formula, every secondary school student
has to study the following three languages
i. Mother tongue (or Regional Language)
ii. English or a Modern European language
iii. a. Hindi (for Non-Hindi areas)
b. Another Modern Indian Language
excluding Hindi (or Hindi-Speaking areas.
Every child in the Hindi speaking areas
must study three languages viz Hindi, one
of the south Indian Languages and
English.
Difficulties in Implementing Three
Languages Formula
1. The school curriculum has become heavy due
to increase in the language load.
2. Dislike of students in the Hindi speaking areas
to study another Indian Language.
3. Residence to the study of Hindi speaking
areas, especially Tamil Nadu.
4. Defective planning and ineffective
implementation of the three language formula.
5. Lack of facilities for the study of the third
language.
5.Kothari Education Commission (1964-
66)
 Kothari Commission (1964-66) did not endorse the
three language formula fully. It advocated some
changes in it and evolved a new modified three
language formula, which required every student to
study.
i. The mother tongue or the regional language.
ii. Hindi, the official language of the Union or English
the associate official language so long it exists
iii. A modern Indian or foreign language not covered
under (i) and (ii) above and other than that used as
the medium of instruction.
Bases for the Modified Three Language Formula

Hindi, being the official language of the

Indian Union enjoys importance next only to
the mother tongue.
English being the medium of education at the
university stage and the language of
administration at the centre and it many of the
states, will be a valuable asset for all students.
No stage should learning of four languages
be made compulsory
 Recommended Ways to Implement the Three
Language Formula
 I-IV – Mother tongue or the regional language
 V-VI - Mother tongue or the regional language
- Official or the associates official language of
the union
• VIII- X -Study of third language should be
obligatory. The official language or associate
official language not studied at the higher primary
stage.
• XI – XII -Only need be made compulsory and the
student should have the option to select any two or
three language .
 The Two Language Formula
Followed in Tamil Nadu
Three language is not favoured.
Tamil and English are the two languages
that have been taught in schools to all
students compulsorily.
Tamil is the official language of the state
and is extensively used in all Govt. offices
and educational institutions.
Reason for Non-acceptance of Three
Language Formula in Tamil Nadu
Giving prominence to the North Indian language
Hindi over the classical language of Tamil is
unacceptable.
Compulsory imposition of Hindi was considered
as making Tamil people as second class citizens.
Since English language serves well at present,
as the link language to communicate between
states and the centre, there is no need for
switching over to Hindi moreover English
serves as the International link language.
Summary of Language Policy during the
Post- independent India
The official language of the Union shall be
Hindi in “Devanagari script”.
English can be used for all official purposes
as a language of vital opportunities and
international contact.
English can be used for all legal purposes eg.
For bills, procedures of court etc.
State should take necessary steps to promote
and spread Hindi as national link language.
 In 1952, Muthaliyar commission, recommended
Three Language Formula which stated that
mother tongue should be taught at primary stage
and English and Hindi should be introduced later.
 In 1988, Kothari Commission put forth a revised
or modified Three Language formula which
stated that along with Mother tongue, English and
Hindi, any other modern south Indian Language
should be taught at Hindi speaking states
Conclusion
Learning of mother tongue facilitates
expression of ideas.
Learning of Hindi widens opportunities
Learning of English provides global identity
Learning of mother tongue helps in cultural
preservation. It promotes national
integration. It facilitates learning of
international language. It facilitates learning
of natioanl language