English-centric growth a disservice to India: HRD Minister

Hyderabad, June 16 (UNI) Stressing the need for twining modern education and Urdu, Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh today maintained that urban and English-centric growth was ''unviable and exclusive model'' that would do disservice to the spirit of India.

Some of the biggest and most powerful world markets have well trained, strong and technically qualified work forces in non-English languages, be it China, the Far East, Russia or countries of the Eastern Europe, he observed in his address at the second convocation of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University here.

Asserting that real growth in India was not possible if it was based on exclusive English-led urban model, he said, ''the workforce has to draw strength from the myriad Indian languages and from our vast and diverse culture.'' Calling for twinning modern technology with finest ideas and philosophies of the subcontinent, he said, ''the process will be enriched by the mind that Urdu builds, the thoughts that this language prompts and the ideas that it mentally creates.'' Referring to the Centre's intiatives for imparting quality education through Urdu medium, the Minister said it had decided to set up academies for professional development of Urdu teachers at the Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and in this University.

The government supported the MANUU's proposal for setting up Model Urdu Schools on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalays, he added.

Mr Singh, who inaugurated Directorate of Distance Education and Instructional Media Centre here, said UGC had allocated Rs seven crore for establishment of the Centre to propagate Urdu language as well as education through the Urdu medium.

Expressing satisfaction over the University positively responding to the biggest challenge of creating a strong academic base for education through Urdu medium, he said among the many firsts, it had innovatively partnered with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to offer BEd programmes through distance education in Urdu medium for teachers in service.

UNI