Prime Highlights-
- AICTE has launched the third edition of the VAANI scheme to promote Indian languages in technical education and research.
- The scheme aims to help students study technical subjects in their mother tongue and bridge the language gap in higher education.
Key Facts-
- AICTE has allocated around ₹4 crore annually under VAANI 3.0 for academic activities across the country.
- More than 200 conferences, seminars, and workshops will be held every year in 22 scheduled Indian languages.
Background-
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched the third edition of its VAANI scheme to promote Indian languages in technical education and research. The scheme will help students study technical subjects in their mother tongue. It also seeks to bridge the language gap for students moving from regional language schools to English-medium higher education.
Under VAANI 3.0, AICTE has allocated around ₹4 crore annually to support academic activities across the country. More than 200 conferences, seminars and workshops will be funded each year, with selected institutions receiving grants of up to ₹2 lakh per event. These programmes will be held in 22 scheduled Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada.
The scheme will also cover 16 emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Quantum Technology, Cybersecurity, and Hydrogen Energy. By introducing Indian languages in these advanced areas, AICTE will improve access to modern technical knowledge for students from rural and regional backgrounds.
Applications have been invited from AICTE-approved institutions through the ATAL portal. The council said the move will support multilingual learning, improve academic understanding, and increase participation in research and innovation. The initiative is also in line with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020 and India’s efforts to make education more inclusive.
