The Rajasthan state government has introduced a significant change in medical education by allowing students to pursue their studies in Hindi. Beginning with the 2024–2025 academic year, two government medical colleges—Dr. Sampurnanand (SN) Medical College in Jodhpur and Barmer Medical College, both affiliated with Marwar Medical University—will offer medical instruction in Hindi.
This initiative, announced by Principal Secretary of the Medical Teaching Department Gayatri Rathore on Hindi Divas (September 14), aims to provide students with the option to choose either Hindi or English as their medium of instruction. The decision comes as part of an effort to make medical education more accessible, especially for students from rural areas or those who completed their earlier education in Hindi. According to Medical Education Commissioner Iqbal Khan, many students have found it challenging to learn medical courses in English, which is often a barrier to academic success.
The move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of expanding the use of Hindi in medical education, which he emphasized during a rally in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that textbooks and study materials in Hindi will be introduced for first-year students starting this academic year. Faculty members will also receive training to facilitate teaching in Hindi.
Rajasthan follows in the footsteps of Madhya Pradesh, which became the first state to offer medical education in Hindi. Recently, Chhattisgarh also announced similar plans. The shift away from the traditional English-medium instruction is aimed at overcoming barriers faced by students from non-English speaking or Hindi-speaking backgrounds, allowing them to better understand technical medical terms and perform more effectively in their studies.
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