THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN NEP 2020’S FOUNDATIONAL STAGE

Abstract [English]

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 laid importance on the foundational stage (ages 6-8) as this period plays a crucial role in different aspects of a child's development. By suggesting that the home language, mother tongue, local language, or regional language be used as the medium of teaching, particularly during the foundational and preparatory stages, the policy emphasized the importance of language in early education. It also recommended using the three-language formula promoting multilingualism. This paper will examine on the role of language as it is outlined in the NEP 2020. The study employs a qualitative research design using document analysis, reviewing the existing research papers and secondary sources available. The main purpose of the study is to analyze the role of language in NEP 2020’s Foundational Stage and also to analyze the challenges of implementing mother tongue in India’s multilingual context. Through the study, it is found that mother tongue-based education enhances understanding, foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), and that children learn more rapidly in their mother tongue. However, challenges such as India’s linguistic diversity, lack of infrastructural facilities, difficulty in language translation of textbooks, absence of indigenous language scripts, selecting the medium of instructions and societal preferences, present a significant barriers to implementation. Therefore, it is important to adopt a balanced approach that incorporates mother tongue instruction with structured multilingual exposure, supported by effective teacher training, curriculum reform, and raising community awareness to address the challenges of implementation of mother tongue in multilingual context.