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UP medical colleges introduce Hindi textbooks in MBBS classes
As part of the transition, principals and faculty members of all medical institutions across the state have been asked to start teaching in Hindi.
The addition of Hindi as a medium of instruction in medical schools is soon to be implemented in all government medical institutions throughout Uttar Pradesh (UP).
As part of the transition, principals and faculty members of all medical institutions across the state have been asked to start teaching in Hindi and provide a monthly update to the director general medical education.
In a letter to all state-run, autonomous medical colleges and officials of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS), the director general medical education (DGME) Kinjal Singh said: “A government letter issued on October 31 has stated teaching in Hindi be started at colleges and universities under the medical education department.”
This transition is expected to bring greater clarity to medical students, particularly those who have received their prior education in Hindi. For example, consider the instruction: ‘Before measuring blood pressure ensure the unique preparation or the prerequisite are done.’ This sentence might pose challenges for MBBS students who are not well-versed in English. However, if explained in Hindi as, “ Blood pressure napne se pehle sabhi jaruri taiyariyan puri kar leni chahiye,” it can be easily understood even by those who do not know the English language.
“Hindi books are available for almost all MBBS subjects. Some are under review also,” said Prof NS Verma, head of physiology department at the KGMU. “Many countries such as Russia, China, Japan teach students in their own language,” he added.
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The teachers, however, pointed out that Hindi has already been the language when it comes to explaining in detail any complex point in classroom. “Almost 60% of our content is being explained in Hindi. This helps the students to understand what exactly we teach,” said Prof Navneet Kumar, head of anatomy department at the KGMU.
Prof Anoop Verma, head of forensic medicine and toxicology department stated, “Some of the books in Hindi that are being used to teach intermediate students have good stuff. We use them to explain technical terms in simple language, in Hindi, to our students.”
Prof Suryakant, from the pulmonary medicine department at KGMU, emphasised the need for teaching students English before they embark on their first year MBBS curriculum. He suggested that if medical textbooks were available in Hindi, it would facilitate better learning. Notably, Prof Suryakant had written his thesis in Hindi in 1991, which was accepted only after a state assembly resolution was passed in its favour.
Following the conclusion of NEET-UG counselling on September 30, the first-year classes have commenced for anatomy, physiology and biochemistry students.
In October 2022, the DGME office established a committee to evaluate the use of Hindi books in medical education, beginning with a study of their implementation in Madhya Pradesh. The state currently has 35 government-sector medical institutions, including 13 state-run medical colleges, 14 autonomous medical colleges and 8 premier medical institutions. Hindi books will now be introduced in these institutions, along with lectures delivered in Hindi by the faculty. Notably, Meerut Medical College had already introduced Hindi as a medium of instruction for medical students last year.
