Lok Sabha Question No. 2986 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-12
Subject: Preservation of Tribal Languages
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Smt. Joba Majhi

† 2986. SMT. JOBA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to preserve and develop the scripts of the languages spoken by the primitive tribes of Jharkhand with the population of around three lakh which comprises of around four percent of the total tribal population and mainly includes primitive tribes such as Birjia, Korwa, Mal Paharia, Parhaiya, Sauria Paharia, Khadia as the language which is the identity of their culture is on the verge of extinction; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for the potential extinction of the said languages?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

(a) & (b): Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, under the Centrally Sponsored scheme 'Support to Tribal  Research  Institutes  (TRIs)'  provides  financial  support  to  the  Tribal  Research  Institutes  (TRIs)  in States/UTs including Jharkhand for the projects/activities undertaken for the preserving and promoting tribal languages, including spoken by the primitive tribes, and scripts as mentioned below:

- i. Preparing Bilingual Dictionaries and Trilingual Proficiency Modules in tribal languages.
- ii. Preparing Primers for students of Class I, II and III in tribal languages under Multi-Lingual Education (MLE) Intervention in the line of New Education Policy 2020. Publishing Varnamala, local rhymes, and stories in tribal languages.
- iii. Publishing books, journals on different tribal languages to promote tribal literature
- iv. Documenting folklore, and folktales of different tribes for preservation and promotion of tribal folk tradition. Collecting oral literature (songs, riddles, ballads etc.)
- v. Translation and publication of Training module about Sickle cell Anaemia disease awareness Module I and Diagnosis & Treatment Module  II in local  Tribal Dialects in the States covered under the Mission for Elimination of Sickle Cell Anaemia.
- vi. Conducting conferences, seminars, workshops, and poetic symposiums.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- †2986

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 12/12/2024

## PRESERVATION OF TRIBAL LANGUAGES

2.     Through these projects and activities, tribal communities are encouraged to participate in conferences, seminars,  workshops,  and  exchange  programs.  Teachers  from  Government  Ashram  Schools  along  with language experts from respective communities are associated in developing the dictionaries and primers in tribal dialects and language, which not only preserves and conserve the tribal languages but help tribal students in basic learning from class I to III and help in smooth transition when they go to higher classes. TRIs also organise Tribal Language Training Programme for field functionaries (front-line workers).
3.  Further, the New Education Policy also stipulates that young children learn and grasp quickly in their home language  and  mother  tongue.  Accordingly,  Central  and  State  Governments  are  encouraging  multi-lingual policy for imparting education and preservation of language.  As informed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry initiated the 'Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL)' under the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru in 2013. This project documents the language & culture of  the  mother  tongues/languages  of  India  spoken  by  less  than  10,000  speakers  in  the  form  of  primers, bi/trilingual dictionaries (electronic and print formats), grammatical sketches, pictorial glossaries and ethnolinguistic profile of the community.  In the first phase, 117 tribal languages are identified by them to work on languages  which are roughly spoken by  less than  10,000 speakers.  The seven Regional  Language Centres (RLCs) of CIIL offer ten-month diploma in language education for in-service and prospective school teachers. Of these, Eastern Regional Language Centre (ERLC) and North-Eastern Regional Language Centre (NERLC) offer ten-month diploma in Santhali and Bodo respectively.  The Institute in collaboration with NCERT has brought out primers for numerous tribal languages. These primers are expected to help the speakers of tribal languages as well as education givers in these languages.
4.    As informed, Tribal Research Institute, Jharkhand has developed and published a total 22 books in dying languages for their preservation.

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