Importance of Indian languages

Context

The Department of Official Language recently celebrated its golden jubilee, marking 50 years since its establishment in 1975.

Key Highlights

• At this event, the Union Home Minister underscored the importance of Indian languages in keeping the nation’s cultural identity, maintaining that language isn’t always only a tool of communication but the ‘soul of a nation’.

About Indian Languages

• India’s linguistic variety isn’t only a cultural asset — it’s a foundational pillar of its national identity, democratic ethos, and inclusive development.
• Cultural and Civilizational Heritage: Census 2011 regarded 121 languages and over 1,600 mother tongues are used throughout India.
  • The Indus Valley script, Brāhmī, and Kharosthī are some of the earliest writing systems, reflecting India’s long-standing literary traditions.
  • India has 11 recognized classical languages, i.e. Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia and recently brought Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali.
• Constitutional and Legal Recognition: The Constitution of India recognizes 22 scheduled languages under the Eighth Schedule, declaring the same status and promoting local languages.
  • Article 350A mandates that states provide primary education in the mother tongue for children from linguistic minority groups.
    • The Constitution guarantees the right to conserve one’s language and way of life as a Fundamental Right.
  • Article 343 designates Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, whilst permitting the continuing use of English.
  • Article 344 presents for the constitution of a Commission and a Committee on Official Language to study and recommend on the progressive use of the Hindi language for professional functions.
  • Article 345 grants State Legislatures the authority to undertake one or more languages used in the State or Hindi as the official language(s) of that specific State.

Importance of Language & Policy Support

• Multilingualism as a Way of Life: Most Indians grow up speaking two or more languages.
  • Multilingualism fosters intercultural know-how, social cohesion, and cognitive improvement, in particular amongst children.
• Education and Empowerment: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes mother tongue-based education up to Grade 5 and preferably till Grade 8, wherever possible.
  • Competitive assessments like JEE, NEET, and CUET are actually offered in 13 Indian languages, expanding access to higher schooling.
  • Digital structures like DIKSHA and SWAYAM provide e-studying content material in over a hundred thirty Indian languages, bridging the virtual divide.
  • DIKSHA hosts textbooks and mastering resources in 33 Indian languages and Indian Sign Language.
  • SWAYAM offers translated engineering content material in eleven Indian languages.
• Digital Inclusion and Innovation: Under the Digital India initiative, cell phones sold in India since 2017 have to help all Indian languages, enabling broader access to e-governance and e-commerce.
  • Projects like Bhashini aims to increase AI equipment for Indian languages, ensuring that generation serves all linguistic communities.
• Safeguarding Endangered Languages: India has lost 50 languages in the last 5 years, and many tribal and minority languages continue to be at risk.
• Dedicated Institutions for Language Promotion:
  • Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru;
  • Central Hindi Directorate, Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, and CSTT;
  • National Councils for Promotion of Urdu and Sindhi Languages;
  • Central Sanskrit Universities;
  • Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai
• Initiatives like the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag and the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat marketing campaign aim to foster linguistic appreciation and solidarity among youths.

Source: The ToI

Prelims PYQ

Q. Consider the following languages: (2014)

• Gujarati 

• Kannada

• Telugu

Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government? 

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 3 only 

(c) 2 and 3 only  

(d) 1, 2 and 3

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