LPPS #1: Lessons from the language policy initiatives in India by Udaya Narayana Singh

About Language Policy and Practices Series
The Language Policy Virtual Research Seminar series focuses on Language Policy and Practices in the Global North and South. Drawing on situated case studies from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Latin America, this seminar series aims to engage critically with contemporary debates around language policy and literacy practices around the world, thereby creating a dialogue towards the future directions of the field in a post-pandemic scenario.

More information and upcoming lectures: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/series/language-policy-and-practices-series

About this lecture
India is usually projected as the best-case scenario in terms of linguistic resilience with 1,576 rationalized mothertongues, and 1,796 other mother-tongues as per her latest Census figures. The numbers kept on changing with changes in linguistic identity. But the recent socio-political changes such as reorganization of states, constitutional recognition of newer languages, new sets of education policies (such as NEP 2021), technological advances, urbanization and globalization together have rapidly influenced or changed the linguistic tapestry of India - upsetting, in some ways, the linguistic equilibrium. It is a different matter that since the Indian independence in 1947, the political establishment did make
pronouncements in favour of (i) linguistic diversity, (ii) linguistic rights (of the minorities), and (iii) promotion of less privileged groups (including their languages) by means of introducing several language policies and laws.
However, partly because of social factors – such as large population growth, low literacy level, disparity between rich and poor at the bottom of the pyramid, the widening gap between the urban and rural areas – effects of these government policies have not been as visible as one would have liked to. There have been several attempts at policy formulations – through constitutional provisions and amendments, initiatives through national-level institutions such as the following: National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and its branches at the provincial level - SCERTs, Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NEUPA) and projects such as National Curriculum Framework (NCF), National Translation Mission (NTM), establishment of numerous language universities, and impetus to Classical Languages research and Language Development Board through the Sahitya
Akademi, the national academy of letters. But it is a fact that the country houses the largest number of endangered languages (UNESCO Atlas, 2010). The paper attempts to present a narration of various language policy
initiatives in India and their effects as well as what one could learn from this difficult language management exercise.

Видео LPPS #1: Lessons from the language policy initiatives in India by Udaya Narayana Singh канала Leiden University - Faculty of Humanities