Miss Alone
Prime VIP
The Hindi department of the Delhi University has issued a diktat that students who have not studied Hindi after 8th grade in school have to pass a Compulsory Test Hindi (CTH) to obtain their degree. Up until now, students from Northeast and other countries had the option to choose another subject instead of Hindi.
Professor Harimohan Sharma, Department of Hindi, says, “This was a rule that did exist earlier, but it has now been made compulsory after the introduction of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS).”
While this may not be a problem for most students, it creates a big dilemma for students who are from non-Hindi speaking states or even across the national borders. HT City speaks to some students to find out what they have to say about the move.
Rachungailiu Gonmei, BA (Hons) English, Kirori Mal College
I think this is unfair to all of us who aren’t from Hindi speaking states and haven’t studied the language after eighth grade. I am from Manipur and haven’t touched any Hindi grammar book in years, how will we go back to it now? Even if the Hindi papers are divided into lower and higher Hindi, the problem would stay the same because no matter what, it would still be difficult to start afresh after quite a long gap of not writing and learning Hindi.
Dee Chawarika, BA Program, Miranda House, Zimbabwe
I don’t think this rule makes any sense. There are so many international students like me who’ve never even seen a Hindi book in our life. How do they expect us to learn it in such a short time? Also, what is the point of us learning Hindi when we have to go back to our countries? I will not be talking to anyone or reading Hindi in Zimbabwe. They should just let us focus on our subjects.
Shahnaz Parveen, BA (Hons) Geography, Miranda House, Assam
I am from Guwahati, and back home no one talks in Hindi. What is the point of clearing this exam? We will study for it and forget everything again. Not like we’ll keep regularly studying it. Also, English is more recognised now than Hindi is. If I were to settle in South India in the future, people there don’t talk in Hindi. How will this help me? They should just let us invest our time in something that will help me in the future.
Rohith Raj, BA (Hons) English, Ramjas College, Kerala
I find the move very illogical. This is a little like forcing students to take a subject. I’m from Kerala, and a lot of my other friends are too. They don’t know how to read, write or speak Hindi at all. I’m worried that they might just fail due to this move. Till now, I did not have to worry about Hindi since I didn’t have it in my course but now if I have to study for it, how will I focus on the other term papers?
Professor Harimohan Sharma, Department of Hindi, says, “This was a rule that did exist earlier, but it has now been made compulsory after the introduction of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS).”
While this may not be a problem for most students, it creates a big dilemma for students who are from non-Hindi speaking states or even across the national borders. HT City speaks to some students to find out what they have to say about the move.
Rachungailiu Gonmei, BA (Hons) English, Kirori Mal College
I think this is unfair to all of us who aren’t from Hindi speaking states and haven’t studied the language after eighth grade. I am from Manipur and haven’t touched any Hindi grammar book in years, how will we go back to it now? Even if the Hindi papers are divided into lower and higher Hindi, the problem would stay the same because no matter what, it would still be difficult to start afresh after quite a long gap of not writing and learning Hindi.
Dee Chawarika, BA Program, Miranda House, Zimbabwe
I don’t think this rule makes any sense. There are so many international students like me who’ve never even seen a Hindi book in our life. How do they expect us to learn it in such a short time? Also, what is the point of us learning Hindi when we have to go back to our countries? I will not be talking to anyone or reading Hindi in Zimbabwe. They should just let us focus on our subjects.
Shahnaz Parveen, BA (Hons) Geography, Miranda House, Assam
I am from Guwahati, and back home no one talks in Hindi. What is the point of clearing this exam? We will study for it and forget everything again. Not like we’ll keep regularly studying it. Also, English is more recognised now than Hindi is. If I were to settle in South India in the future, people there don’t talk in Hindi. How will this help me? They should just let us invest our time in something that will help me in the future.
Rohith Raj, BA (Hons) English, Ramjas College, Kerala
I find the move very illogical. This is a little like forcing students to take a subject. I’m from Kerala, and a lot of my other friends are too. They don’t know how to read, write or speak Hindi at all. I’m worried that they might just fail due to this move. Till now, I did not have to worry about Hindi since I didn’t have it in my course but now if I have to study for it, how will I focus on the other term papers?
