UGC NET ENGLISH UNIT 6 English in India - British Language Policies in India (1858-1947)

British Language Policies in India (1858-1947)
UGC NET Visual Guide

📌 Policy Evolution at a Glance

Phase	Key Policy	Language Focus	Political Context
Consolidation (1858-1880)	Wood's Despatch continuation	English higher education Vernacular primary schools	Post-1857 "divide and rule"
Reform Period (1882-1904)	Hunter Commission (1882) Indian Universities Act (1904)	More vernacular schools Stricter English controls	Rising nationalism
Nationalist Challenge (1905-1947)	Gandhi's Basic Education (1937) Wardha Scheme	Mother tongue as medium English as secondary	Freedom movement

📜 Historical Timeline (1858-1947)

1858

British Crown Rule Begins

Continuation of Wood's Despatch policies with English as administrative language

1882

Hunter Commission

Recommended more vernacular education but maintained English dominance

1904

Indian Universities Act

Increased government control over English-medium universities

1937

Wardha Scheme

Gandhi's proposal for mother-tongue based education system

💡 Core Concept: Two-Language Formula

The British maintained a dual system throughout their rule:

English Education	Vernacular Education
For higher education and administration Produced clerks and bureaucrats Only 1% of population had access	Primary education in local languages Underfunded and neglected Seen as "inferior" education

🔍 Major Policy Developments

Hunter Commission (1882)

Key Recommendations:

• Expansion of vernacular education at primary level
• Transfer of secondary schools to local bodies
• Increased female education in vernaculars
• Grant-in-aid system for private vernacular schools

"The foundation of education must be laid in the mother tongue... but English should not be neglected."

- Hunter Commission Report

Positive Outcomes	Limitations
Increased vernacular primary schools More Indian participation in education Recognized need for female education	English remained prestigious Funds inadequate for real change Urban bias continued

Indian Universities Act (1904)

Lord Curzon's "Educational Reforms":

• Stricter government control over universities
• More emphasis on English research and publications
• Reduced Indian representation in senates
• Increased funding for English-medium colleges

Official Justification	Nationalist Criticism
Improve education standards Prevent "political agitation" in colleges Maintain quality of English education	Attempt to curb nationalist thought Discrimination against Indian languages Centralization of power

Wardha Scheme (1937)

Gandhi's Nationalist Alternative:

• Mother tongue as medium of instruction at all levels
• English as optional secondary language
• Focus on vocational education in local languages
• Self-sufficiency in education

"The foreign medium has made our children practically foreigners in their own land."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Features	Implementation Challenges
7 years of mother-tongue education English taught as language (not medium) Link between education and local economy	Lack of vernacular textbooks Opposition from English-educated elite Limited adoption by British government

🧠 Impact Analysis: Language Policies

Positive Outcomes	Negative Consequences
Created common language (English) for national movement Access to Western scientific knowledge Helped modernization of Indian languages	Created linguistic divide between elite and masses Devalued traditional Indian knowledge systems Slowed development of technical terms in Indian languages

🎯 UGC NET Exam Focus Areas

Theme	Key Questions	Answering Approach
Hunter Commission	"Evaluate the impact of 1882 Commission"	Balance between vernacular expansion and English continuity
Curzon's Policy	"How did 1904 Act reflect colonial fears?"	Link to rising nationalism and control measures
Nationalist Response	"Contrast British and Gandhian approaches"	Highlight medium of instruction differences

📌 Memory Aid: Key Statistics

Year	English Schools	Vernacular Schools	Literacy Rate
1882	4,500	82,000	~3%
1921	12,000	150,000	~7%
1947	28,000	210,000	~12%

Note: Despite more vernacular schools, English education had disproportionate prestige and career value.

🔗 Connecting Themes for UGC NET

This topic links to:

• Colonialism & Nationalism - How language became political
• Social History - Creation of English-educated middle class
• Post-Colonial India - Language debates in Constitution
• Cultural Imperialism - Macaulay's "civilizing mission"