Context:
Vishwa Hindi Divas or World Hindi Day celebrated.
World Hindi Day:
- Observed annually on 10th January
- Commemorates the historic moment when Hindi was 1st spoken at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in 1949.
- 1st World Hindi Conference – Inaugurated by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in 1975 marking an important step toward global recognition of Hindi.
- This day is different from Hindi Diwas which is celebrated on 14th September
- Hindi Diwas marks the adoption of Hindi as one of India’s official languages in 1949.
- Significance – Hindi is the 3rd most spoken language globally, and most spoken language in India.
- World Hindi Day 2025 Theme – “A Global Voice of Unity and Cultural Pride”
Constitutional Status of Hindi:
- Recognized as the official language of India under Article 343 of the Constitution, alongside English for official purposes.
- Also listed in the 8th Schedule, which includes 22 languages recognized for official use.
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I : 7th August is declared as the National Handloom Day.
Statement-II: It was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.
Answer: (a)