New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will soon start a foundation course in Bhojpuri language.

Prof. Shatrughna Kumar, Course Coordinator at the School of Humanities, IGNOU said, "The Vice Chancellor has formed an external members committee with eight experts to start the course."

"If we look at the number of people who speak Bhojpuri, it is only second to Hindi. Moreover, it is a language which is spoken not only in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, but also in countries including Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad & Tobago, Muscat and Surinam", added Kumar.

A large number of Bhojpuri speaking people also reside in metros like New Delhi and Mumbai.

Realizing the importance of Bhojpuri language, the Government of Delhi had also setup the Maithili-Bhojpuri Academy in Delhi in March this year.

The academy organises programmes, seminars, exhibitions and makes arrangements for the translation of work of other languages. It also helps in the publication of books, and support, recognise and aid deserving institutions connected with the language.

While setting up the Maithili-Bhojpuri Academy, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had said that the academy was being established since Delhi has a sizeable number of Maithili and Bhojpuri-speaking people with a defined cultural identity.

Maithili had also been included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, she added.