Jharkhand plans multilingual education policy to integrate mother tongues, Hindi and English

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has directed officials to prepare a practical and forward-looking state language education policy that integrates students’ mother tongues with Hindi and English while strengthening their communication, digital and vocational skills.

Chairing a meeting at the Jharkhand Ministry on Tuesday to review the draft Jharkhand State Language Education Policy, Soren said the state’s linguistic, cultural and social diversity must be reflected in its school education system.

He said children should be able to learn comfortably in their mother tongues without compromising their ability to acquire knowledge, develop skills and compete in a wider academic and professional environment.

The Chief Minister said the difference between the languages children speak at home and those commonly used in classrooms could affect their understanding, participation and learning, particularly in the early years of schooling.

The proposed policy aims to address this gap by incorporating mother tongues and local languages into the teaching process.

Mother tongue, Hindi and English as complementary languages

Soren directed officials to base the policy on the principle of additive multilingualism, under which students would learn additional languages without replacing their first language.

He called for mother tongues, Hindi and English to be treated as complementary languages in the education system.

The approach, he said, should recognise Jharkhand’s linguistic diversity as an important part of its cultural identity while creating opportunities for students to learn and express themselves more effectively.

English-speaking classes before Class 12

The Chief Minister also stressed the need to introduce spoken English classes in schools.

He said students often need to travel to other states for higher education, employment, competitive examinations and sporting opportunities. Proficiency in spoken English and the confidence to communicate would help them navigate these environments.

He directed the department to ensure that students receive adequate spoken English training before completing Class 12.

Hockey and practical skills in school education

Soren called for education to go beyond the completion of prescribed academic curricula and include the development of students’ interests, talents and practical abilities.

He asked officials to consider including hockey under skill-based education, citing the performance of children from Jharkhand in the sport.

The proposed approach, he said, should help students identify and develop their abilities while providing better opportunities to pursue their interests.

Digital skills and competitive examinations

The Chief Minister also emphasised digital literacy and asked officials to prepare the policy with present and future educational requirements in mind.

He said the framework should consider classroom teaching as well as the requirements of competitive examinations, ensuring that students are better equipped to meet changing academic and professional demands.

Three educational stages in the draft policy

Officials informed the meeting that the state government had constituted a Language Education Policy Committee in 2025 to prepare the framework.

The committee studied education systems in Jharkhand and other states before preparing the draft.

According to the presentation, the proposed policy covers three educational stages:

Early childhood education to Class 2.

Classes 3 to 5.

Classes 6 to 12.

The draft places particular emphasis on incorporating students’ mother tongues and local languages into school education across these stages.

Officials said the policy would help preserve and promote local languages, expand their use in education and make the learning process more accessible and effective.

The meeting discussed various provisions of the draft and its proposed implementation framework. The government did not announce a final approval or implementation timeline for the policy in the press release.

Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, School Education and Literacy Department Secretary Umashankar Singh, Jharkhand Education Project Council State Project Director Shashi Ranjan, Tribal Research Institute Director Alok Shikari Kachhap and JAC Secretary S.D. Tigga were among those present.