Question : Endangered languages

(a) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the preservation of endangered languages;
(b) whether the Government is taking any steps to provide education in these languages for the Communities;
(c) the details of languages currently being documented under the scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) including number of speakers of each language;
(d) whether the Government has any plans to increase the number of languages being documented under the scheme and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF EDUCATION

(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) to (e):The policy of the Government is to promote all Indian Languages including endangered languages. The Government of India has initiated a Scheme known as “Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India” (SPPEL). Under this Scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother tongues/languages of India spoken by less than 10,000 people which are called endangered languages.In the first phase of the scheme, 117 endangered languages/mother tongues have been chosen from all over India for



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study and documentation on a priority basis. Details of the languages is given in Annexure. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also initiated two schemes for protection of endangered languages, namely ‘Funding Support to the State Universities for Study and Research in Indigenous and Endangered languages in India’ and ‘Establishment of Centres for Endangered Languages in Central Universities’.

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