Lok Sabha Question No. 1390 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Inclusion of Hindi in UN
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 28/07/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1390

## INCLUSION OF HINDI IN UN

## †1390. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be please to state :-

(a) Whether the Government has taken any steps till date for the inclusion of Hindi as one of its official languages by global agencies like United Nations Organizations;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the reaction of the United Nations Organizations thereon?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a to c) The Government of India has accorded high priority to promotion of Hindi and continues to take measures for its recognition and increased usage at the United Nations and other international platforms. Hindi is already one of the nine working languages at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

In recent past, Indian leaders have delivered statements in Hindi at the United Nations, including Prime Minister's address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Sessions in 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In 2018, a Voluntary Financial Contribution Agreement was signed between the United Nations and the Government of India to promote Hindi within the United Nations system.

Pursuant to this Agreement, UN has launched Hindi social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as a Hindi website of UN News. In addition, the UN broadcasts its programmes on the UN Radio website in Hindi, issues a weekly Hindi news bulletin on Sound Cloud, publishes a UN blog in Hindi and has provided a Hindi extension of the UN News Reader mobile application.

In addition, India co-sponsored a landmark UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/268 on 'Multilingualism'  which   was   unanimously   adopted   on   10   June   2022.   For   the   first   time,   this

Resolution   also   mentioned   Hindi   language,   encouraging   the   UN   Department   of   Global Communications to continue disseminating important communications and messages in official as well as in non-official languages, including in Hindi.

Government of India also continues to make strenuous efforts to promote Hindi language in foreign countries. As in previous years, on 10 January 2023, the "World Hindi Day' was celebrated across the   world,   including   by   United   Nations   Educational,   Scientific   and   Cultural   Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, to present Hindi as an international language and promote its usage worldwide. In 2022 on this occasion, UNESCO agreed to publish descriptions of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hindi on its website.

United Nations has been appreciative of India's efforts to promote Hindi and its social media platforms   also   regularly   disseminate   news   in   Hindi.  The   United   Nations   Hindi   social   media accounts publish nearly 1000 posts every year. It has around 50,000 current followers on Twitter, 29,000  on  Instagram   and   15,000   on   Facebook.  The Hindi   United   Nations   News   website   has approximately 1.3 million annual impressions and with this it remains in the top ten in internet search engines.

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