{"id":67227,"date":"2026-02-21T18:28:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T12:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=67227"},"modified":"2026-02-21T18:30:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T13:00:30","slug":"international-mother-language-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-02-2026\/international-mother-language-day-2","title":{"rendered":"International Mother Language Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity; Education<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>International Mother Language Day <\/strong>is observed on <strong>February 21,<\/strong> under the <strong>theme \u201cYouth voices on multilingual education\u201d.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in <strong>1999<\/strong>, it was the initiative of <strong>Bangladesh<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The UN General Assembly welcomed the <strong>proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India as a Multilingual Society<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>According to the 2011 Census,<\/strong> India is home to more than <strong>1,300 mother tongues and 121 constitutionally recognised languages.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each year, UNESCO publishes the<strong> State of the Education Report for India<\/strong>, focusing on a specific theme.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The 2025 edition, brought together global research, new national evidence and practical lessons to explore the state of Mother Tongue and Multilingual Education in India.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In 2022, in India, nearly 44% of children<\/strong> enter school speaking a language that is different from the medium of instruction, according to the NCERT.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For these children, learning begins with the added burden of decoding an unfamiliar language before grasping academic concepts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Education in Mother Tongue&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Improved Comprehension and Learning:<\/strong> When children are taught in their mother tongue, they can understand and retain information more effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cognitive Development:<\/strong> Learning in a familiar language supports cognitive skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stronger Communication Skills:<\/strong> Mother tongue education helps children develop strong language skills, which are crucial for both oral and written communication.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Identity and Preservation:<\/strong> It strengthens children\u2019s connection to their community and identity, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emotional Well-being: <\/strong>It allows children to express themselves more freely and participate in social and academic activities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Inclusivity: <\/strong>It promotes equality by ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, can access education effectively.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Constitutional Provisions related to Promotion of Mother Tongue in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 29 (1) \u2013 Protection of Interests of Minorities: <\/strong>It ensures that any section of citizens, including linguistic minorities, have the right to conserve their language, script, and culture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Section 29(f) of Chapter V under Right to Education Act, 2009<\/strong> clearly states that, the medium of instructions shall, as far as practicable, be in child\u2019s mother tongue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 30 (1) \u2013 Right of Minorities to Establish and Administer Educational Institutions: <\/strong>It allows minorities, whether based on religion or language, the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 350A \u2013 Facilities for Instruction in Mother Tongue at the Primary Stage: <\/strong>This article directs that the state shall provide facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary level of education.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It emphasizes that, as far as possible, children should be taught in their mother tongue or regional language in the early stages of education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 350B \u2013 Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities: <\/strong>To safeguard and promote the interests of linguistic minorities, including the protection and development of their language and culture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives to Promote Education in Mother Tongue:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Education Policy (NEP) 2020<\/strong>: It provides, wherever possible, for medium of instruction to be in the home language\/ mother tongue\/ local language upto at least class 5 and preferably upto class 8.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It also provides for making available high quality text books in home language\/ mother tongue and encouraging teachers to use a bilingual approach while teaching.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Pariyojana (BBPP): <\/strong>Announced in the Union Budget 2025\u201326, this scheme aims to produce digital and printed textbooks in 22 Indian languages for school and higher education.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Under the Grants for Promotion of Indian Language (GPIL) scheme<\/strong>, the Government provides grants for the promotion of <strong>Hindi, Veda, Classical Tamil, Sindhi and Urdu respectively.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There are separate organisations<\/strong> for development and promotion of <strong>Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi and Sanskrit languages.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>All India Council for Technical education (AICTE)<\/strong> has issued guidelines permitting technical education institutions to offer their courses in local languages also. So far 19 institutions from 10 states have started offering such courses.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National initiatives:<\/strong> PM eVIDYA, Adi Vaani (developed by a national consortium), BHASHINI (BHash-based ANd Intelligent Node for InclusioN in India) and AI4Bharat\u2019s community-developed language technologies show how digital platforms and artificial intelligence can help document endangered languages, and support teachers with multilingual resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DIKSHA Portal:<\/strong> Course material including text books and teaching resources for Grades 1-12 are available on DIKSHA portal of the Government in 33 Indian languages and Indian Sign language.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The emphasis on mother tongue education is not a new concept. Historically, several countries have adopted this approach to enhance the learning experience of young children.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For instance, in the early 20th century, the Soviet Union implemented a policy of nativization that promoted education in the mother tongue of various ethnic groups.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Similarly, in the 1950s, China introduced a policy to promote mother tongue education among its ethnic minorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Embracing multilingualism is not merely an educational endeavour; it is a commitment to inclusivity and diversity.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s education system can foster a generation of individuals who are not only academically proficient but also culturally enriched and globally competent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/172056\/OPS\/GAUFJ4AAS.1+GUOFK8A87.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21, under the theme \u201cYouth voices on multilingual education\u201d. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999, it was the initiative of Bangladesh.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-02-2026\/international-mother-language-day-2 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67227"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67229,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67227\/revisions\/67229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}