Lok Sabha Question No. 1503 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-05
Subject: Promotion of Languages
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, M. CHANDRAKASI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1503

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.03.2018

## PROMOTION OF LANGUAGES

## 1503.    SHRI D.K. SURESH: SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- a) whether the Government is aware that there are a number of languages on  the  verge  of  extinction  as  there  is  no  steps  taken  to  protect  and promote the languages in the country and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- b) whether the Government has conducted/proposed to conduct the different study on languages spoken in the country and if so, the details and the findings thereof;
- c) whether  the  ASI  has  conducted  any  language  survey  to  find  out  the number  of  languages  being  spoken  by  the  various  communities  in  the country and if so, the details thereof along with the number of languages listed by the ASI till date;
- d) whether the Government has taken note of the fact that loss of language will  attribute  to  diminish  a  culture  of  any  society  and  if  so,  the  details thereof  alongwith  the  financial  assistance  provided  for  the  promotion  of language and culture of Indian people in foreign countries; and
- e) whether Harvard University of USA is mobilizing funds to establish a Tamil Chair to undertake research in Tamil and if so, the details thereof and the policy of the Government  in extending financial grants to foreign universities to undertake research in language and culture of India?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

- (a) to (e):  The Government is aware that some languages are identified as endangered languages. The Government of India has initiated a Scheme known  as  'Protection  and  Preservation  of  Endangered  Languages  of India'. Under this scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages

(CIIL), Mysore works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the  mother  tongues/languages  of  India  spoken  by  less  than  10,000 people. The Government has also initiated a Project known as 'Bharatavani'  implemented  by  the  CIIL  for  all  languages,  especially  the languages spoken by more than ten thousand persons, in the cyberspace. This  Project  aims  to  build  a  searchable  knowledge  repository  in  and about all the languages in India in multimedia (text, audio, video, images) formats  through  an  online  portal.    University  Grants  Commission  (UGC) has  launched  a  scheme  'Funding  support  to  the  State  Universities  for Study and Research in Indigenous and Endangered language in India' and approved   grants to the seven Universities, as follows:

## (Rs. in Lakhs)

|   No | Name of the University                  | Allocation     | Grant released                  |
|------|-----------------------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------|
|    1 | Jadavpur University, West Bengal        | 1,33,50,000/-  | 51,51,000/-                     |
|    2 | Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu       | 95,65,000/-    | 87,25,000/-                     |
|    3 | Dravadian University, Andhra University | 1,60,50,000/-  | 78,50,000/-                     |
|    4 | National Law University, Delhi          | 1,92,50,000/-  | 1,10,50,000/-                   |
|    5 | Kerala University, Kerala               | 1,92,50,000/-  | 1,10,50,000/-                   |
|    6 | Berhampur University, Odisha            | 1,92,50,000/-  | 1,10,50,000/-                   |
|    7 | M.S University of Baroda, Vadodara      | 17,68,32,000/- | 4,21,17,000/- (special project) |

UGC has approved the following nine Central Universities for 'Establishment of Centres for Endangered Language in Central Universities' during 12 th Plan :

1. Tezpur University, Assam.
2. Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh.
3. Sikkim University, Sikkim.
4. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Madhya Pradesh
5. Central University of Jharkhand.
6. Guru Ghasidas Viswavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh.
7. Central University of Karnataka.
8. Central University of Kerala.
9. Visva Bharati, West Bengal.

Information about activities of foreign universities is not maintained in the Ministry. Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) has informed that they have not conducted any language survey.

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