English useful but no substitute for mother tongue: UP Governor Ram Naik

Allahabad, Jan 21: Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has favoured the use of "mother tongue" as the medium of instruction up to the secondary level while asserted that English is useful but could not be a substitute for the vernacular languages.

"The knowledge of English is, no doubt, useful. But it can not be a 'vikalp' (substitute) for 'matrubhasha' (mother tongue)", Naik said on the sidelines of a function held at the Allahabad University yesterday.

"I think that the mother tongue, be it Hindi or any other vernacular language, should be the medium of instruction at least up to the secondary level. Students tend to learn better when they study in their mother tongue. This I know from my own experience. I had done my schooling through the Marathi medium", the Governor said.

Naik was speaking to mediapersons after inaugurating a seminar conducted by the University's English Department.

Earlier, addressing the seminar, he expressed unhappiness over the increasing use of "colloquial and grammatically incorrect English" among the younger generation and exhorted teachers to take corrective measures.

PTI