International Mother Language Day

Why in news?

• International Mother Language Day was celebrated on February 21, 2023
• It was revealed that India is losing many of its languages due to modernisation and globalisation, particularly because of the lack of education.
• The theme of International Mother Language Day 2023 was “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”.

International Mother Language Day:

• It is declared by UNESCO
• International Mother Language Day recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind.
• UNESCO has emphasised the importance of mother-tongue-based education for the preservation of linguistic heritage.

Global Efforts for Protection of Languages:

• Yuelu Proclamation:
  • Yuelu Proclamation was adopted at the first international conference on language resources protection in Changsha, China in 2018 by UNESCO
  • It is a document on protection and promotion of the world's linguistic diversity.
• International Decade of Indigenous Languages:
  • UN has designated the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
• International Year of Indigenous Languages:
  • United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL).

PRACTICE QUESTION

Yuelu Proclamation, sometimes mentioned in news, is associated with:

(a) Protection of linguistic diversity

(b) Promotion of organic agriculture

(c) Tackling cybercrimes

(d) Incentivizing voluntary tax compliance

Answer