Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response.
Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/subscribe/
This essay tries to explore how science communicates in a country like India with many regional languages, while aiming to maintain clarity, inclusiveness, and progress. The language of science stands as a foundational pillar in the architecture of human knowledge. It is not merely a collection of technical terminologies or syntactical conventions but a dynamic and evolving system of communication that enables the formulation, validation, and dissemination of empirical knowledge. The pursuit of scientific understanding is deeply intertwined with the precision, clarity, and structure of the language used to convey it. Unlike everyday discourse, scientific language aspires to minimise ambiguity, promote reproducibility, and transcend linguistic and cultural barriers. In this sense, science functions as both a universal method and a universal language, seeking to articulate truths about the natural world through a shared lexicon rooted in observation, evidence, and logic.
The development of scientific language is historically and culturally situated. From the natural philosophies of ancient Greece to the mathematical formalism of Newtonian mechanics and the symbolic abstractions of quantum physics, the evolution of scientific discourse reflects shifts in epistemology and method. Latin once served as the lingua franca of science, offering a standardised medium across diverse nations and scholars. In the modern era, English has largely taken this role, becoming the dominant language in scientific publishing and international collaboration. This linguistic shift carries implications not only for communication but also for accessibility, equity, and inclusion in global science.
The dominance of a single language, while fostering global coherence, also raises concerns about the marginalisation of non-English-speaking scholars and the potential loss of diverse epistemological perspectives. Scientific language is characterised by its formal structure, logical coherence, and empirical grounding. It relies heavily on technical vocabulary, standardised formats (such as the IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion structure), and the use of statistical and mathematical notation. Such features are designed to enhance clarity, facilitate peer evaluation, and ensure the replicability of results. However, this very precision often renders scientific texts inaccessible to the general public, contributing to a widening gap between scientific communities and society at large. This communicative divide underscores the need for science communicators and educators who can translate complex ideas into more accessible language without compromising accuracy.
Moreover, the language of science is performative; it not only describes the world but constructs it through classification, naming, and modelling. Taxonomies in biology, chemical nomenclature, and physical laws are examples where linguistic choices shape how phenomena are perceived and interpreted. The act of naming a species, defining a variable, or constructing a theoretical framework involves epistemological commitments and carries ideological weight. Thus, scientific language is not value-neutral; it is embedded within power structures, cultural contexts, and institutional frameworks.
In an increasingly interdisciplinary and interconnected world, the future of scientific language lies in its ability to remain rigorous while becoming more inclusive and adaptive. It must bridge the gap between specialised domains and the broader public, between empirical exactitude and ethical responsibility. Understanding the language of science is, therefore, not only a linguistic or epistemological task; it is a key to engaging with the most pressing challenges of our time, from climate change to pandemics, from artificial intelligence to biodiversity loss.
The popularisation of the language of science in India is a vital endeavour in bridging the gap between scientific communities and the general public. With a population marked by linguistic diversity and varying levels of literacy, effective science communication in India requires translation not just across languages but also across cultural and educational contexts. Initiatives such as Vigyan Prasar, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), and regional science magazines have played an important role in disseminating scientific knowledge in local languages. These efforts aim to foster a scientific temper, as enshrined in the Indian Constitution, and counter superstition and misinformation. Despite these efforts, challenges remain. English continues to dominate formal scientific discourse, limiting accessibility for non-English speakers. Furthermore, science communication is often viewed as secondary to research, leading to a lack of institutional support and trained communicators. However, the rise of digital media, vernacular YouTube science channels, and grassroots science clubs has created new platforms for engagement. The popularisation of science in India is not just about translating facts but cultivating curiosity, critical thinking, and a culture of inquiry. Strengthening this ecosystem is essential for empowering citizens and enabling informed participation in the nation’s scientific and developmental journey.
The Tongue of Discovery
Science speaks, but in what tongue? In the vast linguistic ocean that is India, with over 22 officially recognised languages and hundreds of dialects, the question is far more than semantic. It’s a philosophical, political, and practical inquiry. Is science tethered to English in India, or can it thrive in Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, or Kannada? Does science require a universal language, or should it adapt like water, taking the shape of every cultural vessel it is poured into? An attempt to explore how science communicates in India, its historical evolution, present tensions, educational realities, and the path forward. It argues that while English dominates the scientific sphere, regional languages have deep potential to democratise scientific knowledge, kindle curiosity, and foster inclusive innovation.
Science and Language: The Global View
Science is often considered a universal enterprise. Equations and experiments are expected to transcend borders. But the communication of science, the way it is taught, shared, debated, and documented, is deeply entangled with language. Today, English is the global lingua franca of science. Journals, conferences, collaborations, and most databases speak English. But this wasn’t always the case. Arabic, Latin, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Greek have all historically served as languages of science and philosophy. Al-Khwarizmi wrote in Arabic, Aryabhata in Sanskrit, and Euclid in Greek. Each era witnessed science speaking the language of its culture. It was not just about discovery, but how that discovery reached people and communities.
The Indian Landscape: A Multilingual Mosaic
India is unique in its linguistic diversity. The Constitution of India recognises 22 “Scheduled Languages,” but Ethnologue lists over 450 living languages. This diversity is reflected in literature, music, and folklore, but science has largely withdrawn into a single linguistic corridor: English. While English was inherited from colonial rule, it became the default language of science and higher education. Scientific institutions, research publications, and technical education almost exclusively use English. This creates a paradox: in a country where the majority do not speak English fluently, science is locked away behind linguistic walls.
Colonial Legacy and Modern Science
Modern science in India took root during the colonial period. Institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (1909) and later the Indian Institutes of Technology were modelled on Western systems and primarily functioned in English. English-medium education was prioritised to create an elite class of administrators and professionals. Post-independence, while the Indian state promoted regional languages in literature and basic education, science continued to operate in English. The reasons were practical: access to global research, publication standards, and career mobility. But this pragmatism came at a cost.
The Cost of English-Only Science
In rural India, where most of the population resides, science education often ends up as rote memorisation in a foreign tongue. Students are taught to recite Newton’s laws without understanding the phenomena they observe in their fields and homes every day. This disconnect creates two classes: those who can “do” science and those who can only “learn” it second-hand. Worse, it alienates local knowledge systems, many of which are deeply empirical and ecological. Agricultural wisdom, herbal medicine, and water management all thrive in regional languages but are rarely honoured in formal scientific discourse.
Science in Regional Languages: The Seeds of Transformation
There have been conscious efforts to bridge this divide. Organisations like the Tamil Virtual Academy, the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), and Vigyan Prasar have worked to create scientific content in regional languages. NCERT textbooks are translated into Hindi and other languages. All India Radio has long hosted science programs in vernacular languages. In states like Kerala, school science fairs are conducted in Malayalam. In Tamil Nadu, textbooks are available in Tamil for state board students. These initiatives have shown that scientific thinking can flourish in any language provided the material is engaging, culturally rooted, and age-appropriate. However, challenges remain: scientific vocabulary is often hard to translate, and many terms are borrowed wholesale from English. The development of a vibrant, evolving scientific lexicon in Indian languages is still a work in progress.
The Role of Translation and Adaptation
Translation is not just about changing words; it is about changing context. When science is translated, it must adapt to cultural metaphors, local examples, and linguistic nuances. Consider the concept of “photosynthesis.” A textbook translation may explain it correctly, but a teacher in a village may explain it through the analogy of cooking food using sunlight, a culturally familiar process. Some scientific terms, like “gene” or “quantum”, may never have perfect translations. But this doesn’t mean science cannot be taught in other languages. It simply means we must be creative. Analogies, visuals, and stories can make complex ideas accessible across languages. Open-access tools like Wikipedia in regional languages, YouTube science communicators, and mobile apps are increasingly being used to make science multilingual and multimodal. Podcasts in Assamese about biodiversity, Marathi explainer videos on black holes, and Hindi memes about artificial intelligence are redefining how science is perceived and shared.
Reclaiming Indigenous Knowledge Through Language
Science in Indian languages is not merely about translation; it is also about reclamation. Indigenous ecological knowledge, traditional medicine, farming practices, and even astronomy have long traditions in regional languages. However, these knowledge systems are often excluded from “mainstream science.” Reclaiming these traditions involves documenting them in their native tongues, validating them through modern methods where appropriate, and integrating them into the scientific curriculum. This fosters respect for plural knowledge systems and reinforces the relevance of science to local communities.
The Role of Policy and Institutions
The National Education Policy 2020 made a bold statement: it encourages education in the mother tongue or regional language at least up to Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8. For science, this offers a window of opportunity. If implemented well, students can grasp core concepts in the language they think and dream in. But policies must be matched by investments in teacher training, textbook development, and scientific vocabulary creation. Moreover, higher education must gradually become more accommodating to bilingualism. Institutions can offer dual-language resources and support regional language journals alongside English ones.
Science Communication and the Public
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that science communication must reach every corner of the country. Misinformation travels faster than truth unless truth is spoken in every tongue. During the crisis, many regional influencers stepped in to explain masking, vaccines, and social distancing in local idioms and languages. It worked. This demonstrates that the public understanding of science depends not just on accuracy, but on familiarity. A virus explained in Bhojpuri may be more effective than a lab report in English. Scientists, journalists, and educators must work together to craft a multilingual science narrative.
The Cognitive Power of Multilingual Science
Research shows that learning science in one’s mother tongue enhances cognitive understanding. It allows for deeper reasoning, more questions, and better problem-solving. When students are confident in their language, they are less afraid of making mistakes and more likely to innovate. Moreover, multilingualism enhances creativity. A child who thinks in Kannada but codes in Python may approach a problem differently than someone trained only in English. India’s diversity is not a hurdle; it is an asset. A multilingual scientific culture may produce richer perspectives, unexpected insights, and novel solutions.
The Future: Toward a Polyglot Science
The future of science in India must be polyglot. English will continue to be vital for global engagement, but regional languages are indispensable for inclusion, innovation, and inspiration. The two can coexist. A paper can be written in English and explained in Hindi. A lab report can have a summary in Bengali. A science festival can host sessions in Odia, Urdu, and Assamese. We must build a scientific ecosystem where translation, adaptation, and localisation are not afterthoughts but integral to the process. Technology can help AI-driven translation, voice assistants, and digital libraries make science multilingual at scale.
Listening to Science in Every Voice
So, what is the language of science in India? The answer is not singular; it is symphonic. It is the rhythm of Tamil curiosity, the cadence of Marathi wonder, the echo of Assamese hypotheses, and the clarity of English equations. Science is not a monologue; it is a conversation. And in India, that conversation must be polyphonic. To democratize science, we must democratise its language. Only then can we ensure that every mind, regardless of the language it speaks, can question, explore, and contribute to the collective journey of knowledge. In a nation where every tongue tells a story, let science speak in many voices. Let the language of science be the language of the people.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.