Anglo-Indian Federation Asks Centre to List English as Native Language in NEP 2020

The Anglo-Indian Welfare Federation of India (AIWFI) has formally requested the Union government to recognise English as a native language under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Education, the federation argued that categorising English as a foreign language violates the rights of students who use it as their primary medium of instruction.

The government's three-language policy, effective from Class 9 since July 1, requires students to study three languages. The federation expressed concern that treating English as a foreign language would adversely affect the approximately five lakh Anglo-Indians in the country, for whom English is the mother tongue. Federation President Augustine Roy Rozario stated that such a classification would force Anglo-Indian students to learn core subjects in two or three native languages alongside English, potentially leading to the erosion of their linguistic heritage.

The AIWFI urged the government to include English in the list of native languages under NEP 2020 to ensure continuity in education and protect the linguistic identity of the Anglo-Indian community. The policy, which aims to promote multilingualism, currently does not specify English as a native language, leading to ambiguity in its implementation.