In a significant move aimed at promoting Hindi as a medium of education in medical studies, the Bihar government has announced its decision to introduce Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) courses in Hindi. This initiative makes Bihar the second state in India, after Madhya Pradesh, to offer MBBS education in Hindi.
State Health Minister Mangal Pandey disclosed the decision on Tuesday, emphasizing that starting from the upcoming academic session, medical students will have the option to pursue their MBBS studies in Hindi. This decision, according to Pandey, is a result of thorough deliberations within the Health Department, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
“The Bihar government’s decision to introduce MBBS courses in Hindi aligns with our objective to promote Hindi as a global language and facilitate broader access to medical education,” stated Minister Pandey.
The curriculum for the new Hindi-medium MBBS program will be based on the syllabus followed by AIIMS Delhi, catering to students who qualify through the NEET UG 2024 examination. Notably, Hindi is the primary medium of instruction in approximately 85,000 government schools across Bihar, underscoring the state’s readiness to implement such a program.
Madhya Pradesh became the pioneer in offering MBBS education in Hindi, with plans initially announced by Vishwas Sarang, the state’s Education Minister, last year. The initiative received backing from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who pledged support for developing Hindi-language course materials for MBBS studies.
The introduction of MBBS courses in Hindi by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh marks a significant stride towards linguistic diversity in higher education, aiming to make professional education more accessible and inclusive across the country.
The decision by the Bihar government has been hailed as a landmark step towards expanding educational opportunities in regional languages, potentially influencing similar initiatives in other states seeking to diversify their educational offerings.
