Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The saying ‘easier said than done’ holds true as the MBBS course is still not fully taught in Hindi medium in the state, even three years after the programme was launched in the country's most spoken language. Instead, ‘Hinglish’ – a blend of English and Hindi – is being used for students in medical colleges from Hindi-speaking regions.
Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to launch an MBBS course in Hindi. Launched on October 16, 2022, in Bhopal, the textbooks for first-year MBBS students were introduced in subjects like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.
According to officials of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), teaching the MBBS course in pure Hindi is not feasible, as students from Hindi-speaking belts do not prefer using traditional Hindi terminologies like ‘Asthi’ for bone or ‘Amashay’ for stomach. These students claim they are more comfortable with English terminologies and prefer bilingual textbooks in ‘Hinglish’.
DME Director Dr. AK Shrivastava stated that around 70% of the students are from an English-medium background, so they have no difficulty with lectures being delivered in English. However, for the 30% of students from Hindi-speaking backgrounds, bilingual books have been made available to help them better understand the subject.
GMC Dean Dr. Kavita Singh also pointed out that the introduction of MBBS courses in Hindi has benefited the 30% of students from Hindi-speaking backgrounds. Terminologies are provided in English in brackets, but the entire explanation is given in Hindi. Recently, delegates from Bihar, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh visited to discuss the MBBS course in Hindi.
Ankit Pandey, a Part-II MBBS student from Gandhi Medical College (GMC), said that MBBS in Hindi (Hinglish) is quite supportive for students from Hindi-speaking regions, as the books are available in both languages. Since all terminologies are given in brackets in English, it becomes easier for students to understand the subjects, he added.
Dr. Aditya Patel, a Part-III MBBS student at GMC, also mentioned that using Hinglish as a medium is quite helpful, as students can refer to textbooks to clarify concepts. “At least now students do not panic about failing exams. They gradually switch to English medium over time,” he added.
‘Chaste Hindi in medical courses not feasible’
Dr. Ashok Khandelwal, Vice Chancellor of MP Ayurvigyan Vishwavidyalaya (Medical Science University), Jabalpur, said, “Pure Hindi medium in medical colleges is not possible, as students from Hindi-speaking belts do not prefer using chaste Hindi terminologies like ‘Asthi’ for bone, ‘Upasthi’ for cartilage, ‘Ykrut’ for liver, and ‘Amashay’ for stomach. We have given students the freedom to write in Hindi using English terminologies. Bilingual books are quite helpful for these students.”
