Context: February 21 is observed as International Mother Language Day, and the 2026 theme is “Youth Voices on Multilingual Education”.
- In this context, the concept of “Bhasha Matters” underscores the significance of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) in ensuring equity and improving learning outcomes.
The Core Problem: The Language Gap in Education
- The Disconnect : Many children, especially from tribal and marginalised communities, enter schools where the medium of instruction (Hindi/English) differs from their mother tongue, causing confusion, fear, and early disengagement.
- As Nelson Mandela highlighted, learning in one’s own language fosters deeper connection and confidence, enhancing comprehension and emotional engagement.
- Staggering Statistics: Globally, about 250 million children study in unfamiliar languages.
- In India, NCERT (2022) notes that 44% of children use a language other than their mother tongue as the medium of instruction.
- The “Domino Effect”: Language barriers hinder foundational literacy and numeracy, widen learning gaps, reduce confidence, and increase the risk of dropouts.
India’s Linguistic Wealth and the Cost of Loss:
- Vast Linguistic Diversity: India reflects continental-scale diversity, with over 1,300 mother tongues and 121 constitutionally recognised languages, making multilingualism central to its social fabric.
- Preservation of Knowledge Systems: The decline of a language leads to the loss of unique worldviews, cultural heritage, and traditional knowledge.
- Hence, protecting languages is both a cultural imperative and an educational necessity.
Solution: Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE)
- Mother Tongue as Foundation: Early schooling should be conducted in the child’s mother tongue or home language to strengthen foundational literacy and cognitive development.
- Phased Language Introduction: State/national languages and English should be introduced gradually after a strong base in the primary language is established.
- Evidence-Based Validation: The 2025 UNESCO State of the Education Report for India, titled “Bhasha Matters”, highlights that native language instruction significantly improves learning outcomes at national and global levels.
Policy Frameworks and Best Practices:
- NEP 2020 & NCF: The National Education Policy (2020) mandates mother tongue/home language as the medium in early grades, while the National Curriculum Framework (2022–23) operationalises this through curriculum and textbooks.
- Odisha Model: Implementation of MTB-MLE across 17 tribal-dominated districts, covering 21 tribal languages, has reduced dropout rates and improved participation.
- Telangana Model: Use of the DIKSHA platform to provide digital content in local languages demonstrates technology-enabled multilingual learning.
Role of Technology and AI:
- PM e-VIDYA: An umbrella program that brings various digital education initiatives under one roof.
- Aadiwanni: A platform specifically designed to preserve rare and tribal languages.
- Bhashini: The Indian government’s AI translation tool intended to provide digital services in various languages.
- AI for Bharat: A community-led initiative that creates AI models to document endangered languages and provide content for local teachers.
UNESCO’s Roadmap for Strengthening MTB-MLE:
- State-Level Policies: Each state should adopt a clear policy promoting mother-tongue education.
- Teacher Recruitment & Training: Recruit local language speakers and train teachers for multilingual classrooms.
- Culturally Relevant Content: Design textbooks and assessments rooted in local culture and context.
- Community Participation: Involve parents and communities in supporting children’s language learning.
- National Mission: Create a coordinated national mission to align government, NGOs, and technology partners for MTB-MLE.
Conclusion: Prioritising mother-tongue education strengthens self-esteem, improves foundational learning, and enables children to overcome linguistic barriers, thereby enhancing long-term academic and professional success.
23 Feb 2026
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