Context:
Kokborok Sahitya Parishad sought inclusion of Kokborok language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Kokborok Language:
- A Tibeto-Burman language primarily spoken in Tripura, India, and parts of Bangladesh.
- UNESCO classifies Kokborok as Vulnerable, meaning it is at risk but still actively spoken.
- Historical Significance – once the royal language of the Twipra kingdom.
- Official Recognition – Kokborok was declared an official language of Tripura in 1979
- Dialects – Major dialects include Debbarma (standard), Riang, and Noatia, all of which are mutually intelligible.
- Script – Historically, the Koloma script was used, but today, Kokborok is written in Roman and Bengali scripts.
UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger:
- A global initiative aimed at documenting, assessing, and preserving endangered languages.
- Provides a comprehensive database of languages at risk of extinction and serves as a valuable resource for linguistic and cultural preservation efforts.
- Classification – Languages are categorized into 5 levels –
- Vulnerable – Spoken by most children but restricted to certain domains.
- Definitely Endangered – No longer learned as a mother tongue by children.
- Severely Endangered – Spoken by grandparents and older generations, but not by younger people.
- Critically Endangered – Spoken by very few individuals, mostly elders.
- Extinct – No known speakers remain.
- Global Coverage – The Atlas includes over 2,500 languages, with detailed information on their geographical distribution, number of speakers, and vitality status.
- Community Contributions – Linguists, researchers, and native speakers can submit updates and corrections, ensuring the Atlas remains accurate and up-to-date.
- India’s Status – India has 197 endangered languages, including 81 vulnerable, 63 definitely endangered, 6 severely endangered, and 42 critically endangered languages.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the highest number of critically endangered languages, mostly tribal dialects
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2021 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct. International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February by UNESCO