Jamia Millia Islamia Concludes National Workshop on Hindi Social Science Terminology
Jamia Millia Islamia has taken a significant step toward strengthening the Indian Knowledge System by focusing on the development of Hindi terminology for social sciences. The university concluded a five-day national workshop aimed at creating learner-friendly vocabulary that makes academic knowledge more accessible and culturally relevant.
Moving Beyond Colonial Mindsets in Higher Education
During the closing session, Vice Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif emphasized that Indian universities must break free from colonial thinking and place indigenous knowledge systems at the heart of education. He argued that a misleading sense of modernity has negatively shaped intellectual perspectives, and the remedy lies in prioritizing India’s own knowledge traditions.
“We need to correct this by giving our knowledge heritage the importance it deserves,” Professor Asif stated, calling for a fundamental shift in how Indian institutions approach learning and scholarship.
Collaborative Effort to Enrich Indian Languages
The workshop was jointly organized by the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), which operates under the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Political Science at Jamia Millia Islamia. Scholars from across the country participated in this initiative, working together to develop precise and meaningful translations of key social science terms.
The primary objective was to create terminology that genuinely reflects Indian history, geography, and cultural context rather than merely substituting English words with Hindi equivalents. This approach ensures that students can engage with complex social science concepts in their native language without losing the depth and nuance of the original meaning.
Translation as Cultural Preservation
Professor Asif, drawing from his own experience as a translator and linguist, cautioned the team against the limitations of literal translation. He stressed that translating involves much more than replacing words—it requires careful attention to meaning, context, and cultural relevance across different Indian languages.
The Vice Chancellor praised the thirteen-member expert group responsible for developing the terminology, acknowledging their dedication to this challenging task. Their work represents an important contribution to making higher education more inclusive and accessible to students who may be more comfortable studying in their mother tongue.
Rooted in India’s Intellectual Heritage
Professor Naved Jamal, coordinator of the workshop, traced the intellectual foundations of this initiative to Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy for Hindi and Hindustani, as well as Bharatendu Harishchandra’s call for intellectual development in one’s own language. He also paid tribute to Professor D.S. Kothari, the renowned physicist and educationist who once chaired the CSTT and championed the cause of Indian languages in academia.
This workshop represents a broader movement within Indian higher education to reclaim and strengthen the role of indigenous languages in academic discourse. By building a robust vocabulary in Hindi for social science subjects, the university is contributing to a more self-reliant educational ecosystem that respects and nurtures India’s linguistic diversity.
The initiative comes at a time when educational institutions across the country are increasingly recognizing the importance of teaching and learning in Indian languages. By developing standardized terminology, Jamia Millia Islamia is helping to create the necessary infrastructure for students to pursue higher education in their preferred language without compromising on academic rigor or international standards.
Through such efforts, the university is not only preserving India’s intellectual traditions but also making contemporary knowledge more accessible to a wider segment of society, thereby strengthening the very foundation of the nation’s educational system.
