3 months ago
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India stands astatine an bonzer crossroads, with a linguistic scenery unmatched successful standard and richness. According to the 2011 Census, India is location to much than 1,300 parent tongues and 121 constitutionally recognised languages. This diverseness is not simply a statistic. It is simply a nationalist strength, cardinal to however children learn, turn and recognize the world.
When a connection disappears, we suffer much than words. We suffer a mode of knowing the satellite built implicit generations. Safeguarding languages is, therefore, not lone a taste imperative. It is fundamentally a question of holding connected to humanity’s accumulated knowledge, which successful crook makes it an acquisition issue. This is wherefore mother-tongue-based multilingual acquisition (MTB-MLE) is critical.
Basis for prime education
As we people International Mother Language Day (February 21), nether the taxable “Youth voices connected multilingual education”, the connection is clear: young radical thrive erstwhile their languages — and, therefore, their identities — are recognised and valued successful the classroom. When this happens, schools go spaces wherever children larn astir themselves, others, and the satellite successful each its diversity. UNESCO has agelong championed multilingual teaching, based connected the connection champion understood and spoken, arsenic a information for prime education.
Each year, UNESCO publishes the State of the Education Report for India, focusing connected a circumstantial themes. This year, which is the seventh variation (2025), Bhasha Matters: Mother Tongue and Multilingual Education, brought unneurotic planetary research, caller nationalist grounds and applicable lessons to research the authorities of Mother Tongue and Multilingual Education successful India. The study demonstrates that MTB-MLE is not lone pedagogically dependable but besides transformative. It outlines 10 argumentation recommendations to usher India towards a much inclusive and equitable acquisition strategy that treats linguistic diverseness arsenic an plus alternatively than a challenge. It besides highlights what is moving — from bilingual learning materials and teacher mentation to innovative integer solutions that bring multilingual resources to classrooms and communities
A obstruction of language
Globally, implicit a 4th of a cardinal learners deficiency entree to acquisition successful a connection they afloat understand. In India, astir 44% of children participate schoolhouse speaking a connection that is antithetic from the mean of instruction, according to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) successful 2022. For these children, learning begins with the added load of decoding an unfamiliar connection earlier grasping world concepts. Weak foundational literacy and numeracy tin pb to cumulative learning gaps, reduced assurance and, ultimately, a higher hazard of dropout.
India has taken decisive steps to code this challenge. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, followed by the National Curriculum Frameworks of 2022 and 2023, places the child’s location oregon parent lingua astatine the centre of aboriginal education.
The Bhasha Matters study highlights promising examples. In Odisha, a long-standing multilingual acquisition programme spans 21 tribal languages crossed 17 districts, supporting astir 90,000 children. In Telangana, the usage of Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA)-enabled multilingual resources demonstrates however integer tools tin grow entree to learning materials successful section languages. National initiatives specified arsenic PM eVIDYA, Adi Vaani (developed by a nationalist consortium), BHASHINI (BHash-based ANd Intelligent Node for InclusioN successful India) and AI4Bharat’s community-developed connection technologies amusement however integer platforms and artificial quality tin assistance papers endangered languages, make local-language contented and enactment teachers with multilingual resources.
Building connected these examples, Bhasha Matters sets retired a applicable roadworthy map. It calls for wide state-level language-in-education policies grounded successful MTB-MLE, stronger teacher recruitment and nonrecreational standards for multilingual classrooms, and reforms successful pre-service and in-service grooming to embed multilingual pedagogy. It emphasises high-quality multilingual materials and assessments, assemblage information and indigenous knowledge, gender-responsive approaches, liable concern successful connection technologies, and sustainable financing. Crucially, it proposes a National Mission for Mother-Tongue-Based Multilingual Education to coordinate enactment crossed ministries, probe institutions, civilian nine and exertion partners, ensuring that promising pilots go systemic reform.
Linguistic diverseness is simply a driver
India’s linguistic diverseness is not a obstruction to development; it is simply a almighty operator of equity, individuality and societal cohesion. With States already demonstrating what is possible, and with wide argumentation frameworks successful place, the state stands astatine the threshold of transformative acquisition change. This displacement reflects a increasing assemblage of evidence: children larn champion erstwhile taught successful a connection they understand.
On International Mother Language Day, the telephone is clear. Education systems indispensable recognise and worth each learner’s language, not lone to amended learning outcomes but besides to affirm identity, well-being and meaningful information successful society.
When young people’s voices are heard, multilingual acquisition becomes much than a argumentation aspiration. It becomes a shared nationalist movement. India’s multilingual infinitesimal has arrived — and its younker are helping to signifier its future.
Tim Curtis is Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, and Member, Team UN successful India. Link to report: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000397158
