Lok Sabha Question No. 348 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Grant for Promotion of Indian Languages
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO-   348

ANSWERED ON - 18/08/2025

## Grant for Promotion of Indian Languages

*348. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the total amount allocated, released and disbursed under the Grants for Promotion of Indian Languages (GPIL) scheme or any similar schemes during the last ten years, language, year and scheme-wise;
- (b)  whether  Sanskrit  has  received  higher  funds  compared  to  other  languages  during  the  said period;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the criteria used to determine the allocation of funds for different languages;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to revise the guidelines to ensure more equitable and needbased allocation across all classical and scheduled languages; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the table of the House

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 348 RAISED BY SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI, HON'BLE MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  ANSWERED  ON  18.08.2025  REGARDING  'GRANT FOR PROMOTION OF INDIAN LANGUAGES'

(a)  to  (e):  The  policy  of  the  Government  is  to  promote  all  Indian  Languages.  The  National Education Policy, 2020 lays a lot of stress on promoting multilingualism and making efforts to keep Indian languages vibrant. The Government of India in the National Education Policy has provided that wherever possible the medium of instruction upto at least class 5 and preferably upto class 8 will be in the home language/ mother tongue/local language/ regional language. The policy emphasize that teaching should be in their home language/local language and learning of Indian languages should be integrated with school and higher education, so that students have the option  of  studying  in  any  Indian  language.  Further,  in  the  Union  Budget2025-26,  Bharitiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme has been announced to provide books in Indian Language for school and higher education in digital format.

Allocation of funds are not done on language basis rather they are provided as per the requirement  and  utilization.  Under  the  Grants  for  Promotion  of  Indian  Language  (GPIL), Government of India provides grants to Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (KHS), Maharishi Sandipani Rashtriya  Ved  Vidya  Pratishthan  (MSRVVP),  Central  Institute  of  Classical  Tamil  (CICT), National  Council  for  Promotion  of  Sindhi  Language  (NCPSL)  and  National  Council  for Promotion  of  Urdu  Language  (NCPUL)  for  the  promotion  of  Hindi,  Veda,  Classical  Tamil, Sindhi and Urdu respectively. Accordingly, the budget allocation over the last ten-year period for the promotion of various languages under GPIL is given below:-

(Rs. in crores)

|   S.No. | YEAR    |   Allocation |
|---------|---------|--------------|
|       1 | 2015-16 |       288.88 |
|       2 | 2016-17 |       333.65 |
|       3 | 2017-18 |       390.31 |
|       4 | 2018-19 |       420.6  |
|       5 | 2019-20 |       459.7  |
|       6 | 2020-21 |       370.73 |
|       7 | 2021-22 |       197.5  |
|       8 | 2022-23 |       250    |
|       9 | 2023-24 |       300.7  |
|      10 | 2024-25 |       308.44 |

Further, The Government of India is promoting Sanskrit Language through three Central Universities  viz  Central  Sanskrit  University,  New  Delhi,  Shri  Lal  Bahadur  Shastri  National Sanskrit University, New Delhi and National Sanskrit University, Tirupati. Funds are provided to these  universities  for  teaching  and  research  in  Sanskrit  Language  leading  to  award  of  degree, diploma or certificate to the students.

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