Bihar introduces French and German language courses in 15 engineering colleges
The virtual event was held in the Chief Secretary's conference hall in Patna, and was attended by DSTTE Secretary Dr. Pratima, along with principals, faculty, and students from all 38 government engineering colleges who joined the session live from their respective institutions.
A detailed presentation by Dr. Pratima outlined the objectives, implementation strategy, and roadmap for expansion. The programme, currently in its pilot phase, is expected to be scaled up to include all government engineering colleges in the State.
In his address, Mr. Meena highlighted the relevance of foreign language proficiency for engineering graduates in an increasingly interconnected world. Drawing from his own background in technical education, he said that knowledge of languages such as French, German and Japanese significantly improves cross-cultural communication, international employability, and academic mobility.
He commended the progress made in Bihar's technical education landscape over the past decade, attributing the transformation to the vision laid out by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2015. 'Under the guiding principle of Aarthik Bal, Yuvaon Ka Hal (Economic Stability, Solutions for Youth), Bihar has witnessed advancements in infrastructure, curriculum reform, and faculty appointments,' Mr. Meena said.
He added that the inclusion of foreign languages in technical institutions would further augment the State's efforts to enhance students' global outreach. Mr. Meena recommended the addition of Japanese language courses to strengthen employability in the East Asian industrial sphere.
The Chief Secretary also urged the department to forge international academic collaborations through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with foreign universities and institutions, facilitating student exchange programmes, joint research, and language immersion initiatives.
'With such steps, Bihar's engineering colleges are on the path to becoming Institutes of National Eminence,' Mr. Meena remarked. He also commended Dr. Pratima for her leadership in broadening global learning opportunities for students.
The event included interactive sessions in which students demonstrated their proficiency in French and German through introductory conversations - an early testament to the impact of the initiative. Participants responded positively to the launch, reflecting the growing aspiration among students to develop communication skills that align with international standards.
The DSTTE has been actively pursuing capacity-building programmes across government engineering institutions in the State, with a focus on enhancing employability and academic excellence.
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A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than five years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called 'Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik' and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called 'LIVE with Manas'.His talks on 'How to read a newspaper' focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University's Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women's Studies by the Women's Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on 'Psychological stress among students' at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More
