While the country observes Hindi Divas today, one cannot, at the same time, ignore the discussions centering around the importance of the language and the debates on whether the language should be clamped on non-Hindi speaking states or not.
Even though Hindi is understood or spoken by roughly around half of the population in India, still the presence of this language on many official levels has decreased. UPSC CSE is one prime example. In recent times, not only the number of toppers from Hindi medium have reduced drastically, the numbers of candidates appearing in Hindi medium and the total selection have also shrunk.
On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Indian Masterminds spoke with IAS officer Nishant Jain to understand the major reasons behind this decline. Mr. Jain, who is currently posted as DM of Jalore in Rajasthan, was the topper in UPSC CSE 2015 in Hindi medium.
TOTAL SELECTION IS DECREASING
In the UPSC CSE 2022 results, Ravi Kumar Sihag secured rank 18 with Hindi as medium. It was after more than five years that any Hindi medium candidate came in the top 20. However, when asked if this should be a matter of concern, Mr. Nishant Jain replied with a no. He said, “It doesn’t matter if a person is AIR 5 or AIR 25. I don’t think there is much of a difference. But yes, what concerns me is continuous decline in total number of selections of Hindi medium candidates.”
In 2016 and 2017, 58 and 42 candidates got selected respectively. The figures have now reduced to an average of 20-30. Even the number of aspirants taking the exam in Hindi has declined.
HINDI TAKING A BACKSEAT
Mr. Jain stressed that the problem does not lie in UPSC. “You need to see the positive side. People from Hindi medium are getting selected and with good ranks. So, there is no question of fairness or transparency. I do believe that the change of pattern and introduction of CSAT have affected the Hindi medium students. Still, the topic to discuss is, why less people are opting for Hindi to write the exam.”
He said that Hindi is taking a backseat in the overall scenario, as English is replacing Hindi in every front. Most schools and colleges are using English as a language to teach. “Whether it is Delhi University or any other, most of the lectures are in English. Only Hindi is taught in Hindi. The training in LBSNAA, SVPNPA and other such institutions are given in English. We only talk about the figures in UPSC CSE exam, but when you’ll see overall, you will find that Hindi medium candidates and their selection – both are declining across all competitive exams.”
FACTORS BEHIND CHOOSING ENGLISH
When asked if aspirants are scared to pick Hindi, he replied, “Nowadays, most of the selected candidates have a graduation in some technical subject or have a medical degree. They are comfortable in both the languages. There are many factors which lead them to choose English. Only aspirants with good command over Hindi grammar, punctuation and spelling can attempt the exam in that language. That is lacking because our whole education system is getting influenced by English.”
He is hopeful that after the implementation of the New Education Policy, the situation might change.
HINDI MEDIUM ASPIRANTS NEED MORE CONFIDENCE
Presenting himself as an example, he asked the aspirants to be more confident. He said, “I chose Hindi and got selected with a good rank. Anyone can do it. Material for preparation is available in abundance. One need to focus and develop a practical strategy for preparation. Be confident in your decision because UPSC judges your knowledge and personality. It is not concerned with what medium you’re presenting yourself.”
