Maithili to attract more civil services aspirants

Patna: The success of at least 18 examinees with Maithili as a main subject in the Union civil services examination this time has given option to thousands of IAS aspirants to opt for their regional languages.

"Yes, it's a new attraction for the civil service aspirants. Syllabus of Maithili will also attract non-Maithils. I am happy that our mother tongue and a major source of Indian history is doing well and once again it is establishing and proving its great intellectual traditions. Now, Maithili-speaking people may know their identity," associate professor in Sanskrit at St Stephen's College Pankaj Mishra told TOI over phone from Delhi.

"It will motivate UPSC aspirants to develop their interest in their mother tongue," feels Deo Shankar Navin, professor of the Centre of Indian Languages of the School of Language, Literature & Culture Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Navin is a native of Saharsa.

Altogether 22 languages have already been accorded official language status in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. Maithili, Santhali, Dogri and Bodo languages were included in the 8th Schedule on January 8, 2004.

Former dean of faculty of humanities and former HoD of Maithili department in Patna university, Veena Karn said there was no dearth of talent in Maithili. "What students need is proper guidance and training. Students are not attracted to Maithili in colleges," she feels.

Padma Shri

Usha Kiran Khan

advocated teaching Maithili at primary level in schools. "It should be taught at the elementary level so that children should inculcate interest in their mother tongue," she said and added that there was dearth of publishers and distributors for Maithili books.

"No good publisher is interested in printing books on Maithili, apprehending that there is no market. The state government should take interest to promote the regional language," she said.