Date:28/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/28/stories/2007062856790200.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Marathi junior college to become a reality soon in Adilabad

S. Harpal Singh

Marathi population of the district prefer studies in mother tongue
Students find it difficult to pursue courses in Telugu medium

ADILABAD: In all likelihood, a Marathi medium junior college will come into being this academic year at Bela Mandal headquarters village which will fulfill a long-pending demand of the Marathi population here. Adilabad’s Intermediate Regional Inspection Officer Ch. Yeshoshuva said the permission from Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) for starting the Marathi medium college can come in any time, any day.

At present, Marathi medium schools at upper primary and high school levels are run by the Government in mandals of Adilabad, Bela, Gudihatnoor, Indervelli, Kerameri, Bhainsa and Tanur where a few thousand students are enrolled. There were two Marathi medium junior colleges functioning at Bhainsa and Mudhole which were closed down some years ago.

Preferences

“Despite reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra on linguistic basis all the bordering mandals of our State comprise about 30 per cent population with Marathi as mother tongue.

A fairly large number of the Marathis prefer education in the mother tongue because they want to retain the culture,” pointed out Sandesh Bharadwaj, general secretary of Adilabad Marathi mandal.

Students who pass out of Marathi medium schools face problems entering junior colleges. As almost colleges are Telugu medium institutions, the students find getting admissions very hard. In case they get admission, they find it harder still to cope up with studies. Many of them who want to study in Maharashtra face problems related to getting migration certificates.

Staff

Help came the way of Marathi mandal in the shape of Adilabad MLA C. Ramchander Reddy who took up the matter with the BIE. “The actual demand was for establishment of a Marathi medium college at Adilabad by redeploying the staff of the closed Bhainsa College. Adilabad would have served as a centre point for students from different mandals”, Mr. Bharadwaj added.