• The United Nations observes International Mother Language Day on February 21.

• The Day is an essential platform to promote the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity, and multilingualism for peaceful and sustainable societies.

• The year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. 

• This milestone highlights a quarter-century of dedicated efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote the use of mother tongues.

• The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000. 

Linguistic diversity under threat

• Languages are essential to education and sustainable development, serving as the primary means through which knowledge is transferred and cultures are preserved.

• Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.

• UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed. Out of these, around 7,000 languages are still in use. However, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages disappearing at an accelerated pace in our rapidly changing world.

• Linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear due to globalisation and societal changes.

• When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.

• Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.

• Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.

Importance of multilingual education

• Globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.

• Ensuring that education systems support the right to learn in one’s mother tongue is crucial for improving learning outcomes, as students who are taught in a language they fully understand show better comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking skills.

• Multilingual education, particularly for minority and indigenous languages, not only helps learners but also fosters a deeper connection between education and culture, contributing to more inclusive and equitable societies. 

• Multilingual education not only promotes inclusive societies but also aids in preserving non-dominant, minority, and indigenous languages. It is a cornerstone for achieving equitable access to education and lifelong learning opportunities for all individuals.

Mother tongue-based education in India

• Section 29(f) of Chapter V under Right to Education Act, 2009 states that, “medium of instructions shall, as far as practicable, be in child’s mother tongue”.

• Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the domain of the states/UTs.

• As envisaged in para 4.11 of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, is to be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible.

• The NIPUN Bharat Mission of the government through its mission implementation guidelines suggests that teaching learning process and development of teaching learning material should be done in mother tongue. 

• Similarly, Vidya Pravesh, a three-month play-based school preparation programme for Grade 1, and NISHTHA FLN (Foundational literacy and Numeracy) have also re-emphasised the same.

• As per Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2020-21, there are 28 languages in which teaching learning is going on in grades (1-5). 

• The languages are: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English, Bodo, Khasi, Garo, Mizo, French, Hmar, Karbi, Santhali, Bhodi, Purgi.

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