Chinese language programmes at Indian universities under scrutiny: Report

The Indian government is reviewing Chinese language programmes offered at universities, by examining collaborations with Confucius Institutes (CIs).

The government is looking into associations between the universities and the official Chinese language training department "Hanban", which manages the CIs, according to a report by The Hindu.

"The Ministry of Human Resource Development and University Grants Commission (UGC) are in the process of reviewing the work being done by higher education institutions as part of agreements/educational arrangements with foreign institutions. As part of this process we would like to review the activities undertaken by the Confucius Centre in your university/ institution affiliated to your university," the ministry said in a letter, as quoted by the publication.

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The Ministry has sent letters to at least five institutions, seeking details of collaborations since 2017, the report said. India has only two functional CIs at present — at Mumbai University and the Vellore Institute of Technology.

Education Secretary Amit Khare will review the information sent by the universities on August 5.

The UGC and the Ministry of Education did not comment on the meeting when contacted by The Hindu.

CIs, which are funded by China's Ministry of Education, are tie-ups between host universities or schools across the globe and a partner university in China.

The move comes shortly after the National Education Policy (NEP) dropped Mandarin from its list of examples of foreign languages that can be taught in schools.