New Delhi, Aug 31 : In what could be seen as a growing recognition of the importance of regional languages in the educational sector, Indira Gandhi national Open University today decided to launch a course in Bhojpuri language.

An eight-external-members expert committee has been constituted by the Vice Chancellor to start a foundation course in Bhojpuri language, Course Coordinator School of Humanities, IGNOU, Shatrughna Kumar announced.

Prof Ramdev Shukla from Gorakhpur, Prof Prabhunath Singh from Patna, Prof Virendra Narayan Yadav from Chapra, Dr Premshila Shukla, Devariya, Prof Rameshwar Mishra, Shantiniketan, (West Bengal), Prof Satyadev Tripathi from Mumbai, participated in this expert committee meeting.

Bhojpuri is one of the major languages of India. It is notable that there are 20 crore people of our country who speak Bhojpuri, the largest among Indian languages after Hindi.

The speakers of Bhojpuri are spread not only in different states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh among others, but in other countries like Mauritius, Surinam, Fiji, Trinidad aand Tabago, Muscat, Yuganda, England, America, Dubai and Fiji. Bhojpuri language is being recognised as a second language in many countries. Seventy per cent population in Mauritius speaks Bhojpuri language.

UNI AR RSA RAI1946