[lg policy] India simplifies language policy for commoners

[Harold Schiffman]

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Today's Newspaper India simplifying foreign policy for commoners
Monday, 04 December 2017 | Vineeta Pandey | New Delhi

In a bid to simplify India’s foreign policy and help common people easily
understand the achievements and functioning of the Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA), the Government is preparing an outreach plan under which it
will establish a direct connect with the people, particularly students of
schools and colleges through its officers in a more interactive and
interesting way.

Already Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj have started giving their speeches and media statements in Hindi
during the visits of foreign dignitaries. Sources said the step to speak in
Hindi by Modi and Sushma was taken keeping in mind the large Hindi-speaking
population that does not easily understand English language.

The foreign affairs and foreign policy is largely considered as an area of
interest for the elite and the urban population. However, the MEA wants to
change this which is why apart from reaching out to the common man, the MEA
is also going to seek feedback from people on their understanding about the
foreign policy and functioning of Foreign Ministry. It will also seek
feedback from people on what do they want in the foreign policy.

The MEA will be sending the officers of the Indian Foreign Services (IFS)
to various schools to deliver lectures and interact with students of high
and middle schools to educate them about the role of the MEA in a common
man’s life.

The officers will also explain in brief what the MEA does, such as its role
in making passports and giving visas apart, from some basic information
about India’s foreign policy in general. They will also talk about the role
of Indian diaspora in the growth of India. The MEA will also hold quiz
contests to make this interaction more interesting among students.

“A lot of people feel that the MEA’s main work is to make passport and give
visa. Some even do not know this fact. It is important for people to know
that apart from making passports, the MEA also does other works and the
important role Indian embassies play when people travel abroad. It is also
important for people to know how our foreign policy takes shape,” said an
official.

The other plans include hosting
<http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/india-simplifying-foreign-policy-for-commoners.html#>
lectures by eminent persons and retired diplomats. So far these lectures
were organised in top institutions like the IITs, IIMs and Central
universities in metro cities. But the plan is now to hold such lectures in
smaller cities and towns to engage more people.

The MEA is also working simultaneously to host a Youth Connect Summit along
with a conference of Indian-origin Parliamentarians world over. Sources
said more than 50 countries have Parliamentarians of Indian origin who play
an important role in improving the relationship with India.


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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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