Donors Establish Major Hindi Studies Endowments
A new gift to UC Berkeley will provide permanent support for Hindi language instruction and graduate student research.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Language Learning
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Amita Jain and Niteen Patkar have established two new endowments at UC Berkeley to secure the future of the university's Hindi studies program. The university will provide a matching contribution to this gift, which represents the largest in the department's history.
Why it matters
The funding aims to protect Hindi instruction from future financial fluctuations while honoring the legacy of Usha and Santosh Jain. By expanding resources for teaching materials and visiting scholars, the program is poised to become a national leader in Hindi education.
Globally, 600 million people speak Hindi, while the United States is home to approximately 900,000 speakers. These figures highlight the growing scale of the linguistic community supported by this new funding.
The players
Amita Jain
She is a donor who established the endowments to support Hindi language instruction and graduate studies at UC Berkeley.
Niteen Patkar
He is a donor who partnered with Amita Jain to fund the permanent support for the university's Hindi studies program.
Usha Jain
She was a lecturer at UC Berkeley whose academic legacy is honored by the newly created endowments.
John J. Gumperz
He was a faculty member who introduced the teaching of Hindi at UC Berkeley during the 1950s.
The details
The endowments will fund research, academic partnerships, and the creation of teaching materials to serve both heritage and non-heritage learners. This investment expands on a program that traces its roots back to the 1950s.
Timeline
Hindi instruction was introduced at UC Berkeley in the 1950s.
Usha and Santosh Jain arrived from India in 1960.
The new endowments were established by Amita Jain and Niteen Patkar in 2026.
Culture Shift
The establishment of these endowments follows a pattern set by the historical initiation of Hindi instruction by John J. Gumperz to solidify the department's academic standing. This move shifts the program from reliance on annual budgets to a permanent institutional foundation.
Students at UC Berkeley can expect expanded access to Hindi language courses and enhanced research opportunities for graduate studies. This investment secures long-term stability for the department, ensuring consistent language instruction for the local community.
The takeaway
This donation highlights the importance of private philanthropy in preserving specialized language programs at public universities. Students and researchers in the field can expect a more stable academic environment with broader resources as the program scales.
Further reading
For more information on educational initiatives in the area, visit the Language Learning section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The American Bazaar.
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