Uccha Shikshanni Bodh Bhasha Ek Prashnaottari

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Uccha Shikshanni Bodh Bhasha Ek Prashnaottari" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, based on the provided pages:

This text, presented as a question-and-answer format, strongly advocates for the mother tongue as the primary medium of instruction (Bodh Bhasha) in higher education. The author, Sukhlal Sanghavi, argues that this is a self-evident truth, supported by experienced and ancient universities, as well as visionary thinkers like Tagore and Gandhi. He likens questioning the mother tongue as the medium of instruction to questioning one's own parentage.

The author then addresses the role of Hindi and English within this framework:

• Hindi's Role: Hindi should be the national language and its introduction as a medium of instruction should start from secondary school and continue through university. This foundational knowledge in Hindi makes it feasible to build upon, facilitating a smooth transition.
• English's Role: English should be retained as a capable and useful language in universities. However, the author suggests that its mandatory imposition should not be as strict as Hindi's for those who struggle with it and are primarily focused on subject knowledge. He emphasizes that Hindi is inherently much closer to any Indian language than English.

Sanghavi further elaborates on the benefits of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction:

• Resource Development: Teachers who teach in their mother tongue can easily write foundational and advanced books in their subjects. This will lead to a rapid production of numerous books across all regional languages and Hindi. The best among these will naturally gain prominence, and translations will also occur between regional languages and Hindi.
• Natural Growth of Languages: This approach fosters the natural development of regional languages. The content developed in regional languages will eventually find its way into Hindi, a result that even Hindi scholars might not achieve solely through Hindi. This process will organically enrich the Hindi language. Students will naturally gravitate towards well-developed books in their mother tongue, while teachers will still recommend other regional languages and English books, which keen students will read.

Regarding students and teachers unfamiliar with regional languages:

• Hindi as a Bridge: Teachers and students not knowing a regional language will have likely learned Hindi due to its mandatory status. They will teach or learn through Hindi in such situations.
• Learning Local Languages: It is a common practice for incoming students to learn the unfamiliar regional language if it's the medium of instruction. The author draws parallels to English speakers going to France, Germany, or Russia, or Gujarati or Marathi speakers in Bengal. Foreign students also adopt this practice when necessary.

The text also addresses concerns about government jobs and national unity:

• Government Jobs: If Hindi is mandatory from secondary school through university, it's unclear why there would be difficulties in obtaining government jobs. Individuals who have studied Hindi for years can easily acquire the necessary proficiency for government work, as Hindi is not entirely alien to their native languages. Even speakers of Dravidian languages can learn Hindi easily, especially when it's a mandatory part of their education.
• National Unity: Language unity is a tool for practical unity and ease of communication. National unity, however, is a separate matter achieved through responsibility and duty towards the country. Even if one assumes language is the primary tool for national unity, Hindi, as the national language, will be present throughout and in government administration, which will foster unity. The author dismisses the idea that allowing other languages as mediums of instruction would fragment unity. He argues that if that were the case, true national unity would necessitate the elimination of all provincial languages. He believes that linking national unity to the medium of instruction is a "delusion."

In essence, Sukhlal Sanghavi's "Uccha Shikshanni Bodh Bhasha Ek Prashnaottari" is a passionate argument for the mother tongue as the cornerstone of higher education, supported by Hindi as a national link language, while retaining English for its utility, and firmly refuting the notion that this approach hinders national unity.