69% spike over three years in candidates giving competitive tests in Hindi

In 2017, since govt allowed NEET for medical in regional languages, number of students choosing Hindi has grown faster than those opting for English; only Marathi and Odiya posted faster growth

The number of candidates opting for Hindi as the language for the NEET examination increased by 69 per cent between 2017 and 2020

Earlier this week, home minister Amit Shah addressing the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, said that “Now the time has come to make the Official Language an important part of the unity of the country. When citizens of States who speak other languages communicate with each other, it should be in the language of India.”

Later, as the opposition started targeting the government over the remark, the home minister clarified that Hindi should be