International Mother Language Day
1 month ago

International Mother Language Day

The Hindu  

There is a common language that everyone speaks, and then there is your own language — the one that feels like home. Observed on February 21, International Mother Language Day reminds us of the need to preserve linguistic diversity and protect fading languages. India’s linguistic richness: From ancient roots to fading voices Ancient languages: Tamil, one of the oldest surviving languages in India, has a history of over 5,000 years. Expert’s voice Janki Nawale, a linguist specialising in language technology for low-resource Indian languages at AI4Bharat, shares her insights on the role of AI in preserving and revitalising India’s vanishing voices. Learning to read and speak in one’s native language will not hinder the process of learning English; in fact, it will enhance it.” In India, where linguistic diversity is deeply woven into traditions, languages have survived through oral storytelling, folk songs, and literature.

India Diversity English Data Chennai Indian Kashmir Tamil Data Collection Speech Hindi Linguistic Diversity Linguistic Text Data Janki Languages Spoken  day  tamil  mother  india  language  languages  spoken  data  international  diversity  indian  linguistic  speech

History of this topic

Mother tongue-based multilingual education to help tribal children bridge linguistic divide in Andhra Pradesh
1 week ago

Mother tongue-based multilingual education to help tribal children bridge linguistic divide in Andhra Pradesh

The Hindu  

To address language barriers among tribal students, the Andhra Pradesh government, through Samagra Shiksha, is implementing the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education programme since 2019-20 academic year. Around 40,000 students from the tribal districts in the State are benefitting from the initiative in the 2024-25 academic year,” Samagra Shiksha State Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao told The Hindu. “Native speakers are …

The Politics of Language: Hindi Imposition, Tamil Resistance, and India’s Linguistic Diversity
1 week, 1 day ago

The Politics of Language: Hindi Imposition, Tamil Resistance, and India’s Linguistic Diversity

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 13, 2025 13:54 IST - 5 MINS READ Though I was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, I grew up abroad and was fluent in English before I was in Hindi. She and our three children in their early years spoke to one another in Assamese though they also became proficient in Hindi since we lived in Delhi. Stalin …

Over 90% in Hindi-belt states speak only one language, rest of India is more bilingual: Data
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Over 90% in Hindi-belt states speak only one language, rest of India is more bilingual: Data

The Hindu  

The latest exchanges between Tamil Nadu and the Centre over Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds have reignited the long-standing language debate. Chart 3 shows the share of English speakers among native language speakers in 1991 and 2011. Chart 3 | The chart shows the share of English speakers among native language speakers A similar trend of declining or stagnating English proficiency …

Linguistic chauvinism will lead India to a perfect babel
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Linguistic chauvinism will lead India to a perfect babel

New Indian Express  

The resurgence of linguistic nationalism in India poses a grave threat to the country’s pluralist ecosystem. However, these assertions lack historical accuracy, as Hindi only evolved as an independent language in the late 18th century, and linguistic nationalism was never a major credo of India’s freedom struggle. To preserve national unity, India must return to Gandhiji’s vision of an inclusive …

International Mother Language Day | Why Punjabi is Disappearing: The Politics Behind Language Loss in India
3 weeks, 6 days ago

International Mother Language Day | Why Punjabi is Disappearing: The Politics Behind Language Loss in India

The Hindu  

Published : Feb 22, 2025 13:43 IST - 6 MINS READ The International Mother Language Day celebrations reminded me of a conversation sparked by the cricketer R. Ashwin, who mentioned that Hindi is not India’s national language. Although Punjabi has been the official language in East Punjab since 1966, raising the status of the language, Hindi is increasingly being used …

Marathi is more than a language, it's an emotion say Punekars this International Mother Language Day
1 month ago

Marathi is more than a language, it's an emotion say Punekars this International Mother Language Day

Hindustan Times  

Language is more than just words — it carries history, culture, and identity. For Punekars, speaking Marathi is not just about keeping their culture alive, it is a part of their identity In a world where globalization often pushes dominant languages forward, it’s crucial to preserve and take pride in the languages we inherit. Here's what Punekars think about speaking …

‘Mother languages vital for cognitive development, educational achievement’
1 month ago

‘Mother languages vital for cognitive development, educational achievement’

The Hindu  

The Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru, on Friday celebrated International Mother Language Day with an event underscoring India’s dedication to linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. CIIL’s director Prof. Shailendra Mohan outlined the significance of International Mother Language Day and detailed CIIL’s initiatives aimed at reinforcing India’s mother tongues. The MoU focuses on language training with tailored programmes by CIIL …

International Mother Language Day 2025: History and all you need to know
1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2025: History and all you need to know

India Today  

International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on February 21 to encourage the preservation and protection of all languages. To honour this struggle and the importance of linguistic rights on a global scale, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day back in 1999. WORLD OBSERVANCE AND CELEBRATIONS With great importance, International Mother Language Day is marked by …

International Mother Language Day is on February 21
1 month ago

International Mother Language Day is on February 21

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: In a world where words bridge cultures and open minds, Telugu literature is caught in a quiet struggle. Telugu literature has witnessed a surge in translations both to and from the language, with notable names like V. Narayana Rao, Volga, Alladi Uma, M. Sridhar, and others leading the way. “You have to retain the local flavor without losing the …

Spotlight on role of languages in promoting unity in diversity
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Spotlight on role of languages in promoting unity in diversity

The Hindu  

Speakers at the two-day national seminar, ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Sangamam’, organised by National Sanskrit University, highlighted the role of languages in promoting unity in diversity and in ensuring the confluence of cultures. Appa Rao hailed the importance accorded to the languages in the National Education Policy to help students pursue higher education in science and technology in regional languages. SV Vedic …

Book Review| “India: A Linguistic Civilization” Highlights Challenges Facing Indian Languages and Decline in Linguistic Diversity
2 months, 1 week ago

Book Review| “India: A Linguistic Civilization” Highlights Challenges Facing Indian Languages and Decline in Linguistic Diversity

The Hindu  

Published : Jan 14, 2025 22:13 IST - 7 MINS READ There is no public intellectual in India quite like G.N. In contrast with the recent census figures, Devy in his People’s Survey of India records 780 languages, including those that are spoken by as few as five people. But Devy does identify, in another longlist, languages that successive censuses …

English education: A case for two-language policy
2 months, 2 weeks ago

English education: A case for two-language policy

The Hindu  

For decades, “modernisation” in India has often boiled down to minor tweaks dressed up as major reforms — announced with fanfare but seldom pursued with real vigour. A policy that maintains the child’s mother tongue as the bedrock of cultural and conceptual understanding — while guaranteeing proficiency in English — can tackle deep-rooted educational inequalities and unlock India’s unrealised potential …

CM Pinarayi Vijayan Warns Against Linguistic Imperialism, Praises Contributions of Expatriate Keralites
4 months, 2 weeks ago

CM Pinarayi Vijayan Warns Against Linguistic Imperialism, Praises Contributions of Expatriate Keralites

The Hindu  

CM Pinarayi Vijayan emphasizes the importance of preserving and nurturing the Malayalam language. He warns against linguistic imperialism and the imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking people. He highlights the contributions of expatriate Keralites and the role of the mother tongue in fostering unity and cultural exchange. Writers Ezgachery Ramachandran and Naduvattom Gopalakrishnan were also recognized for their contributions to …

Shah: Hindi has an unbreakable bond with every Indian language
6 months, 1 week ago

Shah: Hindi has an unbreakable bond with every Indian language

Hindustan Times  

Hindi shares an “unbreakable bond” with local languages and there can never be a competition between Indian languages, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday as he extended greetings for Hindi Diwas. Emphasising the connection between Hindi and all Indian languages, Shah said the country’s progress is intertwined with the enrichment of these languages. The official language Hindi has …

Hindi has unbreakable relationship with every Indian language, says Amit Shah
6 months, 1 week ago

Hindi has unbreakable relationship with every Indian language, says Amit Shah

The Hindu  

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said there is no competition between the official language Hindi and other Indian languages rather they are friends and complement each other. The Home Minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a lot of work has been done to strengthen Hindi and local languages in the last 10 years. Mr. …

Looking beyond Sanskrit
6 months, 1 week ago

Looking beyond Sanskrit

The Hindu  

India commemorated Sanskrit Day on August 19 to highlight and promote the richness and antiquity of Sanskrit. While Sanskrit has played a significant role in our cultural, religious, and intellectual history, focusing solely on this ancient language may overlook the rich literary traditions of other Indian tongues. Rich literary traditions However, India’s linguistic landscape is incredibly diverse, encompassing numerous ancient …

Speak up to save mother tongues
11 months ago

Speak up to save mother tongues

Deccan Chronicle  

Languages are the threads that weave people into diverse traditions and cultures. Dr Arup Kumar Nath from the Department of Linguistics and Language Technology, Tezpur University says, “Almost all languages lack their indigenous writing system or script. Speaking about his journey in reviving indigenous languages in Odisha he says “Many tribal children face the challenge of their home language differing …

When is International Mother Language Day 2024? Know date, history, significance and more
1 year, 1 month ago

When is International Mother Language Day 2024? Know date, history, significance and more

India TV News  

Every year on February 21st, the world comes together to celebrate International Mother Language Day. In 1999, UNESCO officially declared February 21st as International Mother Language Day, recognising the significance of linguistic diversity for cultural heritage, communication, and education. International Mother Language Day 2024: Theme The focus of International Mother Language Day 2024 is on "Multilingual education – a pillar …

International Mother Language Day 2024: Date, history, significance and theme
1 year, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2024: Date, history, significance and theme

Hindustan Times  

International Mother Language Day 2024: Language forms the foundation block in communication. International Mother Language Day 2024: Date, history and significance However, the movement for International Mother Language Day did not start in India – it started in Bangladesh. In November, 1999, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation proclaimed International Mother Language Day, which …

World Hindi Diwas 2024: 5 interesting facts about Hindi language you should know
1 year, 2 months ago

World Hindi Diwas 2024: 5 interesting facts about Hindi language you should know

India TV News  

India is a country where many types of languages are used for conversation, but Hindi is a language that connects most of the Indians. In today's time, where several international and regional languages have taken over the world, at present Hindi is recognised as the official language in India. 5 interesting facts about Hindi language Origin of the word 'Hindi': …

Just Like That | India is a linguistic and cultural treasure trove, a thousand tongues bind us
1 year, 2 months ago

Just Like That | India is a linguistic and cultural treasure trove, a thousand tongues bind us

Hindustan Times  

India has the second largest number of languages in the world: 740. However, after 15 years, with the continuing opposition of non-Hindi speaking states, the Official Languages Act of 1963 allowed English to continue indefinitely until legislation to the contrary. Some people consider Urdu to be the language of Muslims, and only a pure Hindi devoid of Urdu words is …

IIT Guwahati Study Highlights Advantage of Bilingualism in Multicultural Communities
1 year, 3 months ago

IIT Guwahati Study Highlights Advantage of Bilingualism in Multicultural Communities

News 18  

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has in a new study found that bilingualism or speaking more than one language is advantageous in multilingual and multicultural communities, particularly in North East India with its unique linguistic and cultural diversity. IITG’s Centre for Linguistic Science and Technology and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in a research on ‘Bilingual Language Processing in …

Disappearing languages, vanishing voices
1 year, 6 months ago

Disappearing languages, vanishing voices

The Hindu  

English as a common language in India has been acting as a thread by connecting multilingual Indians since the time of the British Raj. A forecast of language extinction An estimated 7,000 distinct languages are spoken as a mother tongue across the world. Mother tongues of about half the people in the world belong to a pool of 10 most …

Why cultural and linguistic diversity in education is important | Explained
1 year, 7 months ago

Why cultural and linguistic diversity in education is important | Explained

India Today  

One of the most appealing factors about India is its rich heritage and culture, which makes it a unique country on the planet. The government has already taken a step in this direction, with the Education Ministry recently introducing a positive change of adding the native language as a mode of teaching and learning at school. This has been added …

In four decades about 280 languages have disappeared: Dr. G.N. Devy
1 year, 8 months ago

In four decades about 280 languages have disappeared: Dr. G.N. Devy

The Hindu  

Scholar, historian and cultural activist Dr. G.N. Devy has extensively worked with the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes and Adivasis, and initiated the People’s Linguistic Survey of India in 2010. Excerpts from an interview: Our leaders have been pushing for ‘one language one nation’ from time to time. As multiple such attempts are made under the pretext of ‘unifying’ the nation, …

INDIA, THIS SIDE | Languages not liked by Hindutva ideology suffer existential crisis
1 year, 9 months ago

INDIA, THIS SIDE | Languages not liked by Hindutva ideology suffer existential crisis

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 15, 2023 11:00 IST - 7 MINS READ One’s mother tongue is closest to any person as is one’s mother. Highlights The decade-wise proportion of various language speakers to India’s total population indicate that in 1961 the Bangla speakers were 8.17 per cent of the total population, half a century later, their proportion had decreased to 8.03 …

INDIA, THIS SIDE | Our endangered tongues: The rising threat to Indian languages
1 year, 11 months ago

INDIA, THIS SIDE | Our endangered tongues: The rising threat to Indian languages

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 23, 2023 10:35 IST - 7 MINS READ Over the last three decades, scientists have come up with mathematical models to predict the life of languages. Obviously, the nations and communities that have learnt to live within a single language, whose economic well-being is not dependent on knowing languages other than their own, whose knowledge systems are …

Sadhguru Writes: India A Kaleidoscope. Will Be Wonderful If All Can Speak 5 Languages
2 years ago

Sadhguru Writes: India A Kaleidoscope. Will Be Wonderful If All Can Speak 5 Languages

ABP News  

Sadhguru: Recently, I was talking to someone important in the US State Department. India’s Wealth of Languages Language is one of the most complex things that we do in our neurological system. There is a Kannada saying which translates to, “When two people fight, the third person will benefit.” We have absolutely complex and fantastic languages in the country, but …

International Mother Language Day: Multilingual learning and teaching to preserve diversity and ensure inclusion
2 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day: Multilingual learning and teaching to preserve diversity and ensure inclusion

India Today  

Language is a medium of expression, like the strokes of a painter's brush or the expressions of an artist on stage. Every year, International Mother Language Day is celebrated on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of languages to the development of individuals, societies, and cultures. Promoting mother languages while …

International Mother Language Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, Quotes & all you need to know
2 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, Quotes & all you need to know

India TV News  

International Mother Language Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, Quotes & all you need to know International Mother Language Day celebrates languages and multilingualism as powerful tools for social inclusion and global development. International Mother Language Day 2023: February 21 is dedicated to promoting awareness of linguistic diversity and cultural unity. International Mother Language Day 2023: History and Significance This day …

DC Edit | To resolve interstate rows, don’t stoke linguistic fires
2 years, 3 months ago

DC Edit | To resolve interstate rows, don’t stoke linguistic fires

Deccan Chronicle  

Linguistic states have been one of the ideas that have helped India sustain itself this far. Like secularism, it ensured that the primary unit of the republic is the citizen, with her every cultural mooring, language being a prominent one, protected constitutionally and insulated from dominance of others. In short, language has a dialectical character about it: On the one …

Explained: What is the Mother Tongue Survey of India and why is it significant?
2 years, 4 months ago

Explained: What is the Mother Tongue Survey of India and why is it significant?

Firstpost  

The Mother Tongue Survey of India with field videography of 576 languages and dialects across India is complete. This comes amid the Centre’s push for using mother tongues at home and in education The Ministry of Home Affairs has finished the Mother Tongue Survey of India with field videography of 576 languages and dialects across India. The home ministry’s annual …

What Mother Tongue Survey of India is & Why It is Important
2 years, 4 months ago

What Mother Tongue Survey of India is & Why It is Important

News 18  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has successfully completed a mother tongue survey with field videography of 576 languages and dialects across the country. The Mother Tongue Survey of India “surveys the mother tongues, which are returned consistently across two and more Census decades” and analyses their linguistic features. ‘Preserve Your Mother Tongue’ In August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had …

Giving regional languages their due
2 years, 5 months ago

Giving regional languages their due

Hindustan Times  

The government has decided to set up centres across the country that will prepare textual material and syllabi for each of the 22 Scheduled languages mentioned in the Constitution, this newspaper reported on Monday. The aim of the move, officials explained, was to promote understanding of regional languages and build cultural bridges in various parts of India and not bind …

Sanjaya Baru | The politics of language: India’s unity in diversity
2 years, 5 months ago

Sanjaya Baru | The politics of language: India’s unity in diversity

Deccan Chronicle  

No other institution has played a bigger role in the popularisation of Hindi across the country than the much-maligned Bollywood cinema. In response to the recent Hindi enthusiasm emanating out of New Delhi, various political leaders across the non-Hindi regions have drawn attention to the fact that Hindi is in fact not the mother tongue of a large majority of …

Hindi Diwas 2022: Amid New Row by HDK, News18 Reads into Politics Over World's 3rd Most Spoken Language
2 years, 6 months ago

Hindi Diwas 2022: Amid New Row by HDK, News18 Reads into Politics Over World's 3rd Most Spoken Language

News 18  

The controversy over Hindi imposition is back in news in Karnataka as JDS leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy after writting a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday and urging his government not to celebrate ‘Hindi Diwas’ by utilising the taxpayers’ money has now called for protest against the Hindi Diwas. Ajay Devgn Vs Kiccha Sudeep The …

75 years of Independence | Misreading the language spectrum
2 years, 7 months ago

75 years of Independence | Misreading the language spectrum

The Hindu  

While deciding on the language question in India, the Constituent Assembly had clearly recognised that the unity of India could get adversely affected if the language policy got slanted towards the imposition of any single language over others. On Hindi and Sanskrit The 2011 Census — which is still the latest — had stated a total of 19,569 ‘raw returns’ …

Centre's aggressive push for Hindi as North-East India's 'link language' threatens to expose ethnic fault lines
2 years, 10 months ago

Centre's aggressive push for Hindi as North-East India's 'link language' threatens to expose ethnic fault lines

The Hindu  

North-eastern India is a linguistic mosaic, with over 400 different languages spoken in the region. Dr Banani Chakravarty said a section of the Assamese elite, while asserting Assamese linguistic aspiration, encouraged the “otherisation” of Tibeto-Burman language speakers. “A section of the Assamese power elite assumes that it is essential for Tibeto-Burman language speakers and speakers of ‘minor languages’ to know …

Exploring the ‘Idea of India’: A Multilingual Tapestry of Linguistic Diversity
2 years, 10 months ago

Exploring the ‘Idea of India’: A Multilingual Tapestry of Linguistic Diversity

The Hindu  

There is a raging debate in the country about the ‘idea of India,’ though the phrase is rarely explained by those who use it. It may refer to the many origins of India’s diverse populations and cultures, or may even be used as a synonym for what we think was or is the Indian ‘civilisation’. However, by ‘civilisation’ one implies …

Recognising territorial links to languages essential for Indian federalism
2 years, 10 months ago

Recognising territorial links to languages essential for Indian federalism

The Hindu  

Historically, the symbiotic relationship of a language with the idea of a nation has been marked by much contestation across the world since the nineteenth century. At the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee held on April 8, 2022, Home Minister Amit Shah commented that in all the north-eastern States Hindi would be made compulsory until Class 10. …

DC EDIT | India has many languages
2 years, 10 months ago

DC EDIT | India has many languages

Deccan Chronicle  

The exchange between a Kannada and a Hindi film star on the popularity of their language was just another in a series of discussions on national languages that tend to go nowhere because of the complexity and numbers of India. It appears the reach of regional films in today’s high-tech environment is getting longer adding weight to the argument that …

International Mother Language Day 2022: A look at mother tongues spoken in India
3 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2022: A look at mother tongues spoken in India

Firstpost  

According to a census conducted by the Government of India in 2011, there are a total of 121 languages and 270 mother tongues spoken in India International Mother Language Day is observed globally on 21 February to recognize and promote multilingual diversity. Mother Tongues in India According to a census conducted by the Government of India in 2011, there are …

International Mother Language Day 2022: History, theme and significance
3 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2022: History, theme and significance

Firstpost  

International Mother Language Day promotes the existence of multilingualism in societies and aims to preserve traditional knowledge and cultures through sustainable methods. International Mother Language Day is observed across the world on 21 February to highlight the significance of linguistic diversity and multiculturalism. History Bangladesh had first come up with the idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day. International Mother …

International Mother Language Day 2022: History, Facts, How many languages are spoken in India
3 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2022: History, Facts, How many languages are spoken in India

India TV News  

Highlights International Mother Language Day was recognized by the UN in 2002 Out of 7000 languages spoken in the world, 2000 are spoken in India itself. February 21 is celebrated as International Mother Language Day. The International Mother Language Day page on the UNESCO website reads, "UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. It …

Interactive: Listen to the best sayings in 25 different languages
3 years, 1 month ago

Interactive: Listen to the best sayings in 25 different languages

Al Jazeera  

February 21 is World Mother Language Day. Mandarin Chinese is the second-most spoken language in the world with 1.12 billion speakers but has the most native speakers globally with 921 million people speaking it as their mother tongue. Scripts in the world’s most popular languages There are 294 known scripts – sets of graphic characters used to write a language …

International Mother Language Day 2021: Theme, history, significance and all you need to know
4 years, 1 month ago

International Mother Language Day 2021: Theme, history, significance and all you need to know

India Today  

International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21, every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. International Mother Language Day recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals focus on leaving no one behind. Check below the theme and history of International Mother Language Day. International Mother Language Day 2021: Theme The …

Hindi card for a Hindu Rashtra
5 years, 5 months ago

Hindi card for a Hindu Rashtra

The Hindu  

THE phrase “one nation, one language” used by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Hindi Diwas in New Delhi on September 14, contradicts the very idea of India as a nation, and its unique linguistic-cultural diversity. The Indian nationalists were aware of the violence and genocidal effects of associating language/race/culture evident in post-War division of Europe, and hence negated the …

Hindi push assault on diversity, India’s spirit
5 years, 6 months ago

Hindi push assault on diversity, India’s spirit

Deccan Chronicle  

On Hindi Divas, when Union home minister and BJP president Amit Shah gave an impassioned speech about the “need of our country to have one language, so that foreign languages don’t find a place”, one wonders why he use ‘languages’ in plural! Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Jan Sangh, which was the BJP’s predecessor, favoured Hindi but …

India's many languages are not her weakness, says Rahul Gandhi days after Amit Shah pitches for Hindi as unifying language
5 years, 6 months ago

India's many languages are not her weakness, says Rahul Gandhi days after Amit Shah pitches for Hindi as unifying language

Firstpost  

Days after Home Minister Amit Shah pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, Rahul Gandhi on Monday said India’s many languages are not its weakness. New Delhi: Days after Home Minister Amit Shah pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said India’s many languages are not its weakness. …

Discover Related