Why in the News

Recent debates and policy moves have brought the role of mother tongue or home language in early education back into focus. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2023) emphasises “mother-tongue first” teaching, and CBSE has directed schools to adopt home or regional languages as medium of instruction in foundational grades starting 2025-26. Critics and educators have raised concerns about implementation, resource constraints, and whether the policy sufficiently addresses India’s linguistic diversity. This renewed attention comes amid wider discussions about education equity, learning outcomes, and preserving cultural identity.

What is Mother Tongue

• Definition: The mother tongue (also called “home language”, “local language”, “regional language”) is the first language a child learns at home or the language of the community in early life.
• Difference from “regional language”: Regional languages are broader in scope (state or large area) and may include languages children learn after the home language. Mother tongue is more immediate and personal.
• Importance in early childhood cognitive/language development: learning in a familiar language aids comprehension, reduces anxiety, and supports stronger foundational skills (literacy, numeracy, thinking). 

What does NEP 2020 State in Mother Tongue

• Medium of Instruction: NEP 2020 mandates that wherever possible, the medium of instruction up to Grade 5, and preferably up to Grade 8 and beyond, should be the home language/mother tongue/local or regional language. After that, the local language should continue to be taught as one of the subjects.
• Three-Language Formula: It reaffirms multilingualism. Students will learn three languages, two of which should be Indian/regional/mother tongues. No language is to be imposed. Flexibility for states and regions is emphasised.
• Higher Education: NEP encourages higher education institutions, including private ones, to offer programmes or instruction bilingually or in Indian languages.
• Curriculum and Teacher Training: Textbooks, learning materials to be made available in local/mother tongue languages; teacher training to support bilingual/multilingual pedagogy. 

Significance of Mother Tongue in Education

• Better Learning Outcomes: Children understand concepts more clearly, build reading and writing skills faster, retain information better when taught in known language.
• Cognitive Development: Enhances critical thinking, creativity, lowers dropout rates in early schools.
• Cultural Identity & Inclusivity: Preserves local culture, languages; inclusive for linguistic minorities.
• Equity in Education: Helps children from disadvantaged or tribal communities, who often face language barriers.
• National Integration through Multilingualism: Supports respect for India’s linguistic diversity and constitutional values of unity in diversity. 

Constitutional Provisions on Mother Tongue

• Article 29(1): Right of any section of citizens to conserve their language, script, and culture.
• Article 30(1): Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions, including in their language/script.
• Article 350A: Duty of the State to provide facilities for instruction in mother tongue at the primary stage of education wherever possible.
• Article 350B: Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities to safeguard their rights.
• Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 – Section 29(f): Medium of instruction shall, “as far as practicable,” be the mother tongue or local language.
• Eighth Schedule: Lists 22 official Indian languages; recognition supports linguistic diversity. 

Assam Government Initiatives to Promote Education in Mother Tongue

• Assam has taken significant steps in line with NEP 2020 by introducing six indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in schools.
  • These include Bodo, Manipuri (Meitei), Garo, Mising, Rabha, and Tiwa.
• Textbooks and learning materials are being developed in mother language languages for foundational and elementary classes.
• The initiative ensures that children from tribal and indigenous communities learn in their home language, helping reduce dropouts and improving comprehension.
• The government has also trained teachers in multilingual pedagogy to make the transition effective.
• This move is part of Assam’s broader commitment to preserve its linguistic diversity while improving learning outcomes among marginalised groups.
• Mandatory Assamese Language: Assamese will be a compulsory subject in all schools within the Brahmaputra Valley, irrespective of the medium of instruction. 
  • In the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas, students are required to study either Assamese or Bodo. 
• Official Communication: All official state government notifications will be published in both Assamese and English, beginning April 14, 2026.  

Challenges in Implementation

• “Wherever possible” caveat: The language policy’s frequent use of vague qualifiers gives states and schools broad discretion, which may lead to non-implementation.
• Resource Constraints: Shortage of textbooks, teaching materials, trained teachers proficient in mother tongue, especially for smaller tribal or endangered languages.
• Diversity and Definition Issues: What counts as “mother tongue” or “home language” can vary; multilingual families complicate identification. Some languages lack standardized scripts or pedagogical materials.
• English / Competitive Pressures: Parents often prefer English as medium owing to perceived link to better job prospects; resistance to mother tongue instruction beyond early grades.
• State Variation: States differ in linguistic composition, political will, administrative capacity; NEP’s guidelines may or may not be adopted uniformly.
• Assessment & Evaluation: Exams and higher education typically operate in regional or national languages or English; sustaining a mother language medium must align with assessment systems. 

Way Forward

• Clearer Mandates with Accountability: Reduce ambiguity by specifying timelines, minimum requirements for mother tongue instruction (e.g. till Grade 5 mandatory). Incorporate into state policies with monitoring.
• Develop Language Infrastructure: Invest in creation and distribution of quality textbooks, teacher training modules, digital content in many languages including tribal ones.
• Training Teachers Multilingually: Build capacity of bilingual teachers, recruit from local communities, use technology for translation and support.
• Parent & Community Involvement: Sensitize parents about the benefits of mother tongue education; involve local communities/language experts in curriculum design.
• Exam & Higher Education Alignment: Allow flexible exam mediums, support higher education in regional/mother languages; foster translation & interpretation programmes.
• Preserve Endangered Languages: Special focus on small / endangered / tribal languages through scholarship, documentation, promoting their usage in schools.
• Use Technology & Innovation: EdTech, mobile apps, e-learning content, AI translation tools to develop and distribute resources in multiple mother tongues. 

The emphasis on mother tongue or home language in NEP 2020 is a welcome and constitutionally sound step towards more inclusive, equitable, and culturally rooted education. Assam’s initiative to include six indigenous languages as mediums of instruction is a pioneering example. However, translating this promise into reality requires deliberate policy action, resources, teacher training, and systemic alignment. Only if states, schools, and communities actively pursue this will the benefits—cognitive, cultural, social—be fully realised.

Mains Practice Question

1. “The NEP 2020’s focus on mother tongue leads to a more equitable education system in India.” Examine this statement with reference to Assam’s initiatives to introduce six indigenous languages as mediums of instruction. (250 words / 15 marks)

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