Dr. Sudhanshu Shekhar 1, Satvik Srijan 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of English Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Corresponding author: Dr. Sudhanshu Shekhar, E-mail: sudhanshu.shekhar@cuj.ac.in
2 M.A. in English, Department of English Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
E-mail: srijansatvik20@gmail.com
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 3 (September 2026) – Anubodhan
Received: 22 September 2026 / Revised: 27 September / Accepted: 30 September 2026 / Published: 30 September 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.135
Abstract
India’s language policy has been shaped by the country’s vast linguistic diversity and the complex relationship between education and language. Here, colonial history plays a major role. When English was introduced into education, it resulted in the creation of a linguistic hierarchy, associating the English language with status and access to knowledge. When India achieved independence, an attempt was made to address these inequalities and preserve the multilingual identity of India by reforming the language policy.
This paper traces the development and changes in language policy of India from the colonial period to NEP 2020. It focuses on the changing role of the English language in the Indian education system. Major developments in language planning, like the Constituent Assembly debates and the Kothari Commission, are examined in the paper, along with how factors such as globalization, technology, and changing social aspirations have contributed to the growing importance of English in Indian education. Drawing on Sarangapani’s work on language policy in India, this paper studies the complex development of language policy in India and the continuing tension between English and regional language education in the Indian education system.
Keywords: Language Policy; Language Planning; Multilingualism; English in India; Indian Education; NEP 2020
How to cite: Shekhar, S. & Srijan, S. (2026). Understanding the Trajectory of Language Policy in India: From Colonialism to NEP 2020. Anubodhan, 2(3), 389–394. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.135