The Maharashtra Medical Education Department has announced plans to introduce medical education in Marathi, making it the fourth Indian state to offer courses in a regional language. According to a senior official, the initial phase involves providing optional reference textbooks in Marathi for the first two years of medical degree courses, aimed at easing the transition for students from Marathi medium schools. The decision on whether Marathi will be used as a medium of instruction will be determined in the future.
Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Secretary of the Medical Education Department, explained that the translation process from English to Marathi would involve collaboration between language experts and medical practitioners to ensure accurate terminology usage. These reference textbooks are expected to be available for the next academic year.
Maharashtra follows the New Education Policy’s emphasis on providing higher education in regional languages. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have already announced plans to start medical education in Hindi, while Tamil Nadu has translated some medical education textbooks into Tamil.
The move has garnered mixed reactions. Dr. Praveen Shingare, former director of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research in Maharashtra, stressed the need for careful analysis before implementation. He pointed out that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is already a national-level entrance test, and candidates opting for it in Marathi are relatively few.
Dr. Shingare cautioned against potential hindrances to students from other states and Maharashtra students seeking admission in medical colleges outside the state. He suggested that the transition should be gradual and not rushed.
Anonymously, a principal of a government-run medical college described the move as revolutionary but questioned its feasibility, particularly as schools offering Marathi medium education are closing, and interest in medical education in Marathi is limited. A teacher in a civic-run medical college in Mumbai expressed concerns about potential restrictions and argued for a gradual approach, emphasizing the importance of reference textbooks to assist students from Marathi medium schools without changing the medium of instruction.
