ABSTRACT
In the last decade of the 20th century, India’s pursuit of a free-market economy led to changes in its language policies in education. These changes have been aimed at enhancing the skills of India’s citizens through education that is adapted to the needs of the market economy. The key to skill enhancement is English, which is needed for communication in business environments and for accessing knowledge usable in the new economy. National integration, the staple of education policy in most postcolonial countries, is predicated on market integration within India and with the world. English is taken to be indispensable for this integration.
