Policy, Practice and the Role of Language Publishing in Multilingual Education in India
The push for the use of local languages in the National Education Policy is not only triggering good discussions among educationalists but also creating an interest in the production of more books in other languages than just English and Hindi. One could also argue that it is the other way around and that the increased interest in the society for local languages has influenced the National Education Policy, but the point is that overall more space is created for languages in the debates in the marketplace!
Discussions around the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and developments in Indian publishing point to growing interest in strengthening mother-tongue based learning. One perspective comes from Anju Wal’s article on multilingual classrooms and the challenges of implementing NEP 2020, while another comes from the strong presence of Indian language publishing at the World Book Fair 2026. Together, these examples show how policy responses and cultural platforms can support and promote multilingual education in India.
Anju Wal’s article Multilingual classrooms: Can NEP 2020 bridge the policy-practice gap? offers a thoughtful look at how India’s classrooms are multilingual especially in the urban context in India and how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 fits into this reality. The policy encourages teaching young children in their mother tongue. Although it is not always easy as classrooms include children who speak different languages, especially in urban contexts. Teachers have to manage many languages at the same time. They often have limited training and may rely on a dominant language in the classroom. Producing textbooks and learning materials in local languages is still a challenge and many parents continue to see English as a pathway to greater opportunities.
The article highlights the key role of teachers in multilingual classrooms. Skilled educators often move between languages to clarify ideas and connect with students’ home languages, and such language switching can be an effective teaching strategy. Wal argues that teacher education programmes must prepare teachers to use linguistic diversity as a strength. Wal also suggests that technology—such as digital platforms and AI-based translation tools—could help make learning materials available in multiple languages more easily.
Ultimately, the article argues that while NEP 2020 offers a strong vision for multilingual education, its success will depend on effective implementation, including better teacher training, practical classroom strategies, and parental aspirations.
Indian languages at the World Book Fair: A boost for multilingual education - The 2026 New Delhi World Book Fair saw a significant comeback for local books. There was a jump in titles across more than 30 languages, including state languages like Hindi, Punjabi, and Malayalam, but also a regional language like Sindhi. According to The Statesman, children and young students showed a "keen interest" in reading books in their mother tongues. The fair also brought together publishers, writers, educators and readers from different parts of the country. This could create opportunities for collaboration, including translation projects and the development of new learning materials in multiple languages. Such initiatives could help increase the availability of quality books for schools and community libraries.
Taken together, these examples highlight ways in which multilingual education is being discussed and supported in India. For Multilingual Education to succeed, policies encouraging mother-tongue learning must be supported by trained teachers in multilingual classrooms and the availability of quality reading materials, while publishing initiatives can help strengthen reading cultures and expand children’s access to stories and information in the languages they know best.
Regards,
Karsten, in collaboration with Upasana Lepcha
Resources:
1. Multilingual classrooms: Can NEP 2020 bridge the policy-practice gap? - The Hindu
2. National Education Policy 2020
3.Indian languages witness renaissance at World Book Fair 2026 - The Statesman
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