(THE GIST OF PIB) International Mother Language Day

(FEBRUARY-2024)

On International Mother Language Day, the Kalanidhi Division and Academic Unit of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) presents Akshar, Shabd and Bhasha, an exhibition celebrating and honouring the linguistic diversity of India, and exploring the richness of languages, scripts, and words that define our cultural heritage.

It is observed globally every year on February 21 to recognise and promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
According to UNESCO, International Mother Language Day was recognised on the initiative of Bangladesh and has been observed throughout the world since the year 2000.
The theme for 2024 is “Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning”.

According to UNESCO, globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in the language they speak or understand.
So, as a commitment towards understanding the importance of the mother language or mother tongue, UNESCO decided to observe the day.
It underscores the role of languages in promoting inclusion and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Issues: Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
At least 45% of the estimated 7000 languages spoken in the world are endangered.
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.