The Silent Extinction: India's Linguistic Diversity Crisis and the Case of Dogri
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Constitutional Provisions related to Languages, Eighth Schedule, 92nd Amendment, J&K Official Languages); Art and Culture (Languages of India); Current Events.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): "Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India" (Linguistic diversity is a core part); "Social empowerment"; "Effects of globalization on Indian society."
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): "Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation"; "Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies"; "Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population... mechanisms, laws, institutions... for the betterment of these vulnerable sections."
Key Highlights from the News
According to a UNESCO report, India has the highest number of languages on the verge of extinction in the world.
Reports indicate that over 220 languages have been lost in India in the last 50 years.
Case Study: The Dogri language in the Jammu region is facing serious decline.
Despite Dogri being recognized as one of the five official languages under the J&K Official Languages Bill, 2020, it has not been implemented effectively in practice.
Main Reasons for Decline:
Government Policy: Lack of sustained government support. It took until 2003 to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Economic Factors: 43.2% of people believe the language has little relevance for employment.
Generational Divide: Primarily used by older generations. 0% proficiency in reading or writing Dogri among those under 20.
Rural-Urban Divide: More spoken by rural residents (56%) compared to urban residents (45%).
Challenges: The 2021 Census on hold means there is no latest and accurate data on endangered languages.
The article argues that the colonial mindset that only English is sufficient for progress (decolonisation of linguistics) needs to change.
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