Relevance (UPSC GS-I: Indian Society—languages; GS-II: Polity—Official/Scheduled languages; GS-II: Governance—education & culture)

What’s the concern?

Despite official status in Jammu and Kashmir and inclusion in the Eighth Schedule (since 2003), Dogri is reportedly declining in everyday use, especially among youth and in urban pockets. Migration, English-medium preference, and limited presence in schools, media, and administration are key drivers.

Why it matters

• Cultural identity: Dogri carries the folklore, songs, and oral histories of the Duggar region.
• Educational outcomes: Using the mother tongue in early grades improves learning and retention (aligned with National Education Policy 2020).
• Rights & representation: Scheduled-language status should translate into textbooks, exams, signage, and government services in Dogri—not only a symbolic listing.

Current policy space

• Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 lists Dogri among the official languages of the Union Territory.
• Central support exists via Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL), CIIL Mysuru, and initiatives like Bhashini for digital language resources.
• Implementation gaps persist: insufficient teacher training, few quality textbooks, and limited broadcast time.

What can help—

• School-first: Dogri as medium/subject at least till grade 5; teacher recruitment and TET-aligned training.
• Public presence: Bilingual signage, e-gov interfaces, and official forms in Dogri.
• Media & digital: Community radio slots, OTT subtitles, Unicode keyboards, and open corpora for NLP tools.
• Culture & markets: Dogri literature prizes, craft/folk-music festivals, and tourism branding to create economic value for the language.

Exam hook

Connect Eighth Schedule recognition to actual service delivery (education, administration, digital access). Propose four implementable steps: school materials, teacher pipeline, public interfaces, and media incentives.

UPSC Prelims question

With reference to Dogri, consider the following:

1. It is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
   
2. It is notified as an official language of Jammu and Kashmir.
   
3. National Education Policy 2020 discourages use of regional languages in early schooling.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
   Answer: (a)

One-line wrap
Make Dogri visible in schools, offices and screens—recognition on paper must become a living language in practice.