Aizawl, In an effort to improve proficiency in Hindi, the Mizoram government would introduce Hindi speaking day in all schools, a minister said on Tuesday.

School Education Minister Vanlalthlana told a news conference here that Hindi-speaking day will be observed in all schools once a month under the supervision of the state school education department during which students and teachers should be asked to speak or converse in Hindi.

The move is to improve proficiency in spoken Hindi in the state, particularly among the students, he said.

In Mizoram, a hilly state dominated by Mizo tribal people, Hindi is hardly spoken due to the presence of a few Hindi-speaking people.

Mizo and English are the official languages of the state.

Vanlalthlana said that the Mizo people face a huge language barrier in other parts of the country, as they cannot speak Hindi fluently.

Hindi proficiency is increasingly required for students seeking jobs in other parts of the country, he said.

He said that Hindi teachers will be trained to ensure that their students speak Hindi fluently, and those who do not speak Hindi will be given special training.

“Given the importance of spoken Hindi, the government will notify Hindi-speaking day for all schools. Hindi will be used during school recesses once a month,” Vanlalthlana said, adding that the spoken Hindi books will be prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

The Education minister said that the government will also introduce home language day in all English medium schools to promote and preserve local languages.

He said that students in English medium schools will be allowed to speak or communicate in their home languages (mother tongues) during school recesses once a week.

The move came amid rising usage of English against local languages by students even at home or outside the schools, he said.

Vanlalthlana further said the government will take steps to ensure that all teachers employed under the state government, excluding those who have less than five years for retirement, clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years from the issuance of the order in line with the Supreme Court ruling.

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