HC: Make books available to Hindi medium students

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the university to permit lectures in Hindi in those colleges which had the resources to do so.

Hindi medium students of Delhi University suffering due to shortage of text books today received a relief from the Delhi High Court which directed the University to take steps to publish or promote publication of books in Hindi.

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Passing a slew of directions to the University for welfare of Hindi medium students, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the university to permit lectures in Hindi in those colleges which had the resources to do so.

The order was passed on over a PIL alleging that the University had failed to arrange text books in Hindi despite allowing students to opt for the medium

The Division Bench also directed the DU to issue suitable instructions to colleges affiliated to it to maintain a record of the number of students admitted under the Hindi medium.

Directing the Centre and the University Grant Commission (UGC) to provide financial assistance to the Directorate of Hindi Medium Implementation (DHMI), which deals with the text books for Hindi medium students, the Court said "UGC and Government of India to provide necessary financial assistance to DHMI for satisfactory discharge of the functions."

The Vice Chancellor of the University was directed by the Court to constitute a committee under his chairmanship to monitor the work of DHMI. The Registrar was also directed to be the member of the committee.

The PIL was filed by NGO People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), through its counsel Prashant Bhushan, alleging that the DU had allowed students to opt for Hindi medium but had failed to provide books in the medium for all subjects.