Lok Sabha Question No. 112 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-06
Subject: Preservation of Languages
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.112 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

## Preservation of Languages

- *112.    SHRI  THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that India, with 197 endangered languages, tops  the  list  in  UNESCO  Atlas  of  the  World's  Languages  in  Danger  (2010)  and around  100  of  these  197  endangered  languages  are  from  tribal  areas  of  the North Eastern Region of the country; (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  alongwith  the  measures  taken/being  taken  by  the Government for the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages; (c) whether the language policy under the New Education Policy, 2020 facilitates the education to tribal communities in their mother tongue; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a)  to (d) :     A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  112  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  06.12.2021  ASKED  BY SHRI THOMAS  CHAZHIKADAN,  HON'BLE  M.P.  REGARDING  'Preservation  o f Languages '

(a) & (b):   Yes Sir.  The policy of the Government of India is to promote all Indian Languages including endangered languages, and languages of North Eastern Region. The Government of India has initiated a  Scheme for 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  speakers.  The scheme currently covers 117 languages. The list is at Annexure. The University Grants Commission has also initiated two schemes for protection of endangered languages, namely 'Funding  support  to  the  State  Universities  for  Study  and  Research  in Indigenous  an d  Endangered  languages  in  India'  and  Establishment  of  Centres  for Endangered Languages in Central Universities.

(c) & (d): Yes Sir. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 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. The policy also provides for making available high quality text books in home language/ mother tongue and encouraging teachers to use bilingual approach while teaching. In addition to this, it provides for more  Higher  Educational Institutions  (HEI)  and  more  programmes  in  Higher Education to use the mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction and/or offer programmes bilingually.

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ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) and (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.112  ASKED  BY  SHRI  THOMAS  CHAZHIKADAN ,  HON'BLE  M.P FOR 6.12.2021 RE GARDING  'Preservation of Languages'

|   No. | Name of Language/Mother Tongue   |   No. | Name of Language/Mother Tongue   |   No. | Name of Language/Mother Tongue   |
|-------|----------------------------------|-------|----------------------------------|-------|----------------------------------|
|     1 | LAMONGSE                         |    40 | MARA                             |    79 | KHANA                            |
|     2 | LURO                             |    41 | AIMOL                            |    80 | BHADRALIAM                       |
|     3 | MUOT                             |    42 | ATONG                            |    81 | KHASHA                           |
|     4 | ONGE                             |    43 | GURUNG                           |    82 | MESHABI                          |
|     5 | PU                               |    44 | KHAMBA                           |    83 | PADDARI                          |
|     6 | SANENYO                          |    45 | DIRANG MONPA                     |    84 | TEHGUL                           |
|     7 | SENTILESE                        |    46 | KHAMPTI                          |    85 | GOJAPURI                         |
|     8 | SHOMPEN                          |    47 | PURUM                            |    86 | HASSADI                          |
|     9 | TAKAHANYILANG                    |    48 | UCHAI                            |    87 | BALASTIN                         |
|    10 | THARUA                           |    49 | NEWARI                           |    88 | BATERI                           |
|    11 | BHUNJIA                          |    50 | BAWM                             |    89 | DARGARI                          |
|    12 | BODO GADABA/GUTOB                |    51 | RALTE                            |    90 | KUSHWAHI                         |
|    13 | DHIMAL                           |    52 | THAPA                            |    91 | MASIDI                           |
|    14 | MRU                              |    53 | BAGI                             |    92 | SIAN                             |
|    15 | MANDA                            |    54 | CHINZ / ZYPHE                    |    93 | MANNAN                           |
|    16 | BIRHOR                           |    55 | CHOTHE                           |    94 | KANIKER GOTTI                    |
|    17 | HOLIYA                           |    56 | KAGATE                           |    95 | PULIYA                           |
|    18 | BINJHIA/BIRJIA/BRIJIA            |    57 | KAMI / KHAMI                     |    96 | SIDDI                            |
|    19 | TOTO                             |    58 | KOIRENG                          |    97 | KADAR                            |
|    20 | DIDAYI / GATA                    |    59 | KONGBO                           |    98 | MOOPAN                           |
|    21 | GORUM                            |    60 | LAMGANG                          |    99 | MUDUGA                           |
|    22 | THOTI                            |    61 | MOYON                            |   100 | SOLIGA                           |
|    23 | BONDO                            |    62 | MUKHIYA/SUNUWAR                  |   101 | HAKKIPIKKI                       |
|    24 | PARENGA                          |    63 | NEWAR / PRADHAN                  |   102 | MALAIMALASAR                     |
|    25 | NAA                              |    64 | PUROIK / SULUNG                  |   103 | ARANDAN                          |
|    26 | TANGAM                           |    65 | TARAO                            |   104 | KUTIYA                           |
|    27 | KHAMIYANG                        |    66 | YOBIN/YOBIN LIJU                 |   105 | URALI                            |
|    28 | SINGPHO                          |    67 | ZAKHRING                         |   106 | MUDUVAN                          |
|    29 | SHERDUKPEN                       |    68 | JANGSHUNG                        |   107 | PALIYA                           |
|    30 | MEYOR /ZAKHRING                  |    69 | GAHRI                            |   108 | MALAYAN                          |
|    31 | RANGLONG                         |    70 | SPITI                            |   109 | MALASAR                          |
|    32 | BAITE/ BIATE                     |    71 | CHINALI                          |   110 | JENU KURUMBA                     |
|    33 | BANGRO                           |    72 | DARMIYA                          |   111 | TODA                             |
|    34 | CHIRU                            |    73 | JAD                              |   112 | ERAVALLAN                        |
|    35 | DARLONG                          |    74 | KANASHI / MALANI                 |   113 | BHARWAD/BHARWADI                 |
|    36 | LIJU                             |    75 | JANGALI/ RAJI                    |   114 | BARADI                           |
|    37 | PHAKIAL                          |    76 | RONGPO                           |   115 | NIHALI                           |
|    38 | KOMKAR                           |    77 | SIRAM                            |   116 | BHALA                            |
|    39 | SIMONG                           |    78 | BEDA                             |   117 | DIVEHI                           |