Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called for greater emphasis on learning foreign languages such as Japanese, German and French, citing high demand for skilled professionals in foreign countries. Speaking at an event by NDTV about India-Japan ties, Goyal emphasized that Japan's demand for skilled professionals extends beyond technical expertise to language proficiency. According to reports from Business Standard, Goyal stated that Japan is specifically looking for highly skilled caregivers who possess Japanese language proficiency, highlighting the growing importance of multilingual skills in global markets. "Japan is looking for highly skilled caregivers. They want Japanese language proficiency. We must promote language skills in India, such as German, French, Japanese," Goyal said, reinforcing the urgent need for language-skilled professionals in the current global environment.
Goyal's comments came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi during her three-day visit to India. As reported by Business Standard, India and Japan are expected to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation under the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The discussions will cover investment, technology, supply chains and economic cooperation, with Goyal emphasizing that India shares a strategic relationship with Japan and the partnership should move to the next level. The Union minister emphasized that "India-Japan ties should move to the next level" during these high-level diplomatic engagements.
The Union minister highlighted Japan's long-standing role in India's industrial development, particularly mentioning Suzuki's contribution to India becoming a global power in auto. According to Business Standard, Goyal added that Japanese participation has contributed to the development of infrastructure and automobile manufacturing, including India's dedicated freight corridor project. These comments were made during the NDTV event focusing on India-Japan ties, with Goyal noting that "Suzuki helped India become a global power in auto" as a key example of Japanese industrial collaboration.
The language promotion initiative comes as CBSE rolls out the three-language framework for students. Under the new guidelines, students in Class IX will study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages. As reported by Business Standard, students currently in Class X are exempt from the new requirement, while those in Classes VII, VIII and IX will not have to appear for a board examination in the third language when they reach Class X. The third language will instead be assessed internally by schools, with the policy aligning with the National Education Policy 2020 recommendation for students to learn three languages, with at least two being native to India. The CBSE guidelines allow students who already study two Indian languages to choose either another Indian language or a non-native language such as English or French as their third language, providing flexibility while maintaining the core objective of promoting multilingual proficiency.
