Chinese removed from list of foreign languages for students under NEP

Chinese has been excluded from the list of foreign languages students can choose to learn at the secondary school level in the new National Education Policy (NEP), which was brought in this week.

According to Hindustan Times, the list mentions French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, and Thai which students can choose as electives to “learn about cultures of the world and enrich global knowledge… according to their own interests and aspirations”.

However, the draft NEP which was released last year had listed Chinese among other languages like French, German, Japanese, and Spanish as examples of languages to be “offered and available to interested students” as electives.

The approved and final version of the NEP, which was released by Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ramesh Pokhriyal on Wednesday, did not mention Chinese.

This comes amid a stand-off with China after a violent clash in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on June 15 between military troops of both nations, during which at least 20 Indian Army soldiers were killed. Tensions between the two countries escalated following the Galwan Valley face-off.

India also banned 59 Chinese-origin apps, including short-video platforms like TikTok and social media applications like WeChat claiming those apps were engaged in activities which are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity and defence” of the country.

Soon after that, 47 more Chinese apps, which were variants and similar to the 59 apps earlier, were also banned.

Following the ban on the 47 applications, Beijing said it will take “necessary measures” to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

According to Hindustan Times, Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement that India’s June 29 ban on 59 mobile apps with Chinese background “severely damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies”.

“The Indian government has the responsibility to protect the legitimate rights and interests of international investors in India, including Chinese businesses, in accordance with market principles,” she added.