Big Boost for Regional Languages: AICTE to Grant ₹4 Crore to Colleges for Hosting Conferences in Indian Languages
Abhishek Patel
20/03/2025
Table of Contents
Initiative Aims to Promote Multilingual Academic Dialogue in Technical Education
In a decisive move to promote regional languages in the realm of higher education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced a ₹4 crore funding initiative to support colleges and institutions in organizing national conferences in Indian languages. This landmark decision is aimed at enhancing the role of Indian languages in academic settings, especially within the technical and professional education domains. The initiative aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes the importance of multilingual education and mother tongue-based learning.
The scheme is designed to provide financial assistance to AICTE-approved institutions for conducting academic conferences in languages other than Hindi and English. By encouraging the use of mother tongues in scholarly discourse, AICTE hopes to build a more inclusive and accessible academic ecosystem.
Key Highlights of AICTE’s ₹4 Crore Conference Scheme
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Initiative by | All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) |
| Total Grant Amount | ₹4 crore |
| Maximum Grant per Institution | ₹1 lakh per conference |
| Target Language Focus | Indian regional languages (excluding English and Hindi) |
| Eligible Institutions | AICTE-approved technical and management institutions |
| Application Window | Open now via official AICTE website |
Objectives Behind the Initiative
The primary objective is to encourage academic discourse in regional languages and break the longstanding dominance of English and Hindi in higher education. This move is expected to empower students and faculty to articulate technical and academic concepts in their native languages, fostering better comprehension, deeper learning, and local relevance.
“Our goal is to ensure knowledge creation and dissemination in Indian languages. This step will empower students and faculty to express complex ideas in their mother tongue,” said an AICTE official.
This initiative also supports the development of terminologies and academic literature in regional languages, which is crucial for the long-term vision of achieving bilingual or multilingual education in India.
Eligibility Criteria and Financial Aid Structure
- The scheme is open exclusively to AICTE-approved institutions, which include technical and management colleges.
- Each eligible institution can apply for financial assistance up to ₹1 lakh for organizing a national-level academic conference.
- The focus will be on conferences that are held in Indian regional languages other than English and Hindi.
- Institutions can use the funds for venue arrangements, printing materials, speaker honorariums, technical support, and other logistical requirements.
How to Apply for the AICTE Conference Grant?
- Visit the official portal: https://www.aicte-india.org
- Navigate to the “Events and Initiatives” section.
- Download the proposal format and fill out necessary details.
- Submit the application online along with the planned agenda and expected outcomes.
- Institutions will be notified about the approval status through the official portal.
Institutions are encouraged to plan conferences that highlight regional innovations, cultural advancements, or technological developments in their own language context.
Strengthening Regional Academic Identity
In recent years, AICTE has taken multiple steps to integrate Indian languages into technical education, such as permitting B.Tech programs in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, and more. This conference scheme is another leap toward ensuring that language is no longer a barrier in the pursuit of higher education or scholarly research.
The promotion of regional languages in technical forums is not just about inclusion; it’s also about validating indigenous knowledge systems and encouraging students from non-English backgrounds to participate more actively in research and innovation.
The impact of this initiative could be far-reaching. It might encourage publishing of research papers in native languages, creation of language-specific academic journals, and development of AI tools and learning management systems tailored to Indian languages.
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FAQs – AICTE Regional Language Conference Funding
Q1. Can a college apply for more than one grant?
No. Each institution is eligible for one grant per year under this scheme.
Q2. Will conferences in Hindi or English be funded?
No. The scheme specifically excludes Hindi and English to promote lesser-used regional languages.
Q3. Is this initiative only for engineering institutions?
No. It includes all technical and management colleges that are AICTE-approved.
Q4. Can the funds be used for international conferences?
Only national-level conferences conducted in regional languages are eligible.
Q5. Where to check approval status and disbursement?
Institutions can track the application status via the AICTE dashboard post-submission.
