In the twenty first century global village, India and things Indian cannot be overlooked. A nation with more than a billion citizens and one of the fastest growing economies makes governments around the world sit up and take note. According to a PTI report, the US administration has recently identified Hindi as one of the "critical need" foreign languages that Americans should learn to further strengthen national security and prosperity in the 21st century.
While launching the National Security Language Initiative programme (NSLI), US President George W Bush is expected to request $114 million in funding for 2007.
"The NSLI will dramatically increase the number of Americans learning critical need foreign languages such as Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Farsi and others through new and expanded programmes from kindergarten through university and into the workforce," the US State Department said in a fact sheet.
The US administration noted that an important component of national security in the post 9/11 period is the ability to engage foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical regions, to encourage reform, promote understanding and convey respect for other cultures.
"To do this, we must be able to communicate in other languages, a challenge for which we are unprepared," it said.
Under the direction of the President, the Secretaries of State, Defence and Education along with the National Director of Intelligence have developed a comprehensive plan that will see an expansion in foreign language education, starting at the kindergarten levels and through formal schooling and into the workforce with job opportunities and incentives for graduates of these language programmes.
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