Jagan: English should be education medium across India, but mother tongue comes first

Amaravati: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday advocated making English the medium of education across the country, even as the debate over alleged Hindi imposition continues.

‘English key for India’s progress’

Speaking to media persons, Jagan emphasised that if India wants to move forward and leap ahead, English should be made the medium of instruction in all schools.

“The change that should be brought is not Hindi. Hindi can be learnt as a language, but education should be in English. This is the biggest change required for India’s progress,” he asserted.

He termed English as the global language and said that unless students from government schools are fluent in English, they cannot remain competitive.

‘Mother tongue first, Hindi second’

Jagan clarified that while English should be the medium, the mother tongue must be compulsorily taught as the first language.

“As a second language, one can pick Hindi. There is nothing wrong with it,” he added, recalling that Hindi was his first language during schooling.

Concerns over Polavaram Project height

Commenting on the meetings between AP and Telangana chief ministers in Delhi, Jagan raised concerns over the Godavari-Banakacherla project proposed by Andhra Pradesh.

He said diversion of surplus Godavari water to Banakacherla would become uncertain if Chhattisgarh proceeds with its Indravati project and the Polavaram dam height remains restricted to 41.72 metres.

Indravati project impact

Jagan noted that Chhattisgarh is moving ahead to harness Indravati waters, a tributary of Godavari, through a project declared as a national project with an estimated Central funding of Rs 50,000 crore. He warned that this would block Indravati’s flow, raising doubts about the availability of surplus water in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu compromised on dam height, alleges Jagan

The YSRCP chief alleged that CM N Chandrababu Naidu had compromised on the Polavaram dam height, agreeing to restrict it to 41.72 metres instead of 45.72 metres.

He emphasised that only with a full reservoir level of 45.72 metres can surplus water be diverted to the Krishna River, enabling projects like Banakacherla. “If not, the Banakacherla project becomes a question mark,” he cautioned.

Jagan demands Rs 15,000 crore for raising Polavaram height

Jagan demanded that if the Centre stops funding Polavaram beyond 41.72 metres, the State government should mobilise Rs 15,000 crore to raise the dam height to 45.72 metres to ensure the long-term water security of Andhra Pradesh.