India's Comprehensive Cultural and Linguistic Preservation and NEP 2020
India's rich culture, expressed through arts, literature, traditions, and more, is a valuable asset that attracts millions of people worldwide, contributing to the country's identity and economy. Preserving and promoting this cultural wealth is a top priority for India, as it plays a significant role in the nation's identity and economic growth, as reflected in the "Incredible India" tourism slogan. Promoting Indian arts and culture is crucial not just for the nation but also for individuals. Cultural awareness and expression help children develop a sense of identity, belonging, and respect for other cultures, contributing to their self-esteem and overall well-being. Additionally, arts play a significant role in imparting culture, enhancing cognitive and creative abilities, and increasing individual happiness, making it essential to offer Indian arts to students at all levels of education, starting from early childhood. Languages are closely tied to culture and shape how people perceive and interact with the world. To preserve culture, it's essential to preserve and promote its languages, but many Indian languages are endangered, with over 220 lost in the last 50 years and 197 declared as endangered by UNESCO, especially unscripted languages.
There's a shortage of qualified language teachers in India, and teaching methods should emphasize practical communication skills rather than just literature, vocabulary, and grammar. Using languages more for everyday conversation and in the teaching process is important for improvement. Various initiatives have been proposed to promote languages, arts, and culture in schools, including emphasizing music and arts, early implementation of multilingualism, experiential language learning, and involving local experts in teaching. The curriculum will also offer more flexibility in secondary schools and higher education, allowing students to choose their own creative, artistic, and academic paths. To support these initiatives, efforts will be made to establish strong departments and programs in Indian languages, comparative literature, creative writing, arts, music, and philosophy across India, along with the development of 4-year B.Ed. dual degree programs.
These efforts will also involve hiring local artists and crafts persons as guest faculty to promote local culture, and having Artists-in-Residence in educational institutions to expose students to art and creativity. To increase access and promote Indian languages, more higher education institutions (HEIs) will use the mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction or offer bilingual programs, including private HEIs. Bilingual four-year B.Ed. programs will train science and math teachers to teach bilingually. Additionally, high-quality programs in translation, art, museum administration, archaeology, artifact conservation, graphic design, and web design will be created within the higher education system to preserve and promote Indian art and culture and strengthen the tourism industry. The policy emphasizes the importance of students firsthand experiencing India's diversity by visiting different parts of the country. As part of the "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat" initiative, 100 tourist destinations will be identified where educational institutions will send students to learn about the history, culture, scientific contributions, traditions, literature, and knowledge of those areas, enhancing their understanding and appreciation.
The creation of programs and degrees in higher education related to arts, languages, and humanities will lead to expanded employment opportunities in fields such as museums, art galleries, heritage sites, and virtual museums. These positions will not only help preserve India's heritage but also boost the tourism industry. India plans to expand its translation and interpretation efforts to make learning materials and important content available in various Indian and foreign languages. To achieve this, it will establish the Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), employing multilingual experts and using technology to promote all Indian languages, and it may expand to multiple locations, including higher education institutions, over time to facilitate collaborations and meet growing demand. Sanskrit will be integrated into the mainstream education system, available as a language option in the three-language formula from school to higher education. It will be taught in innovative ways, connected to subjects like mathematics, philosophy, and yoga, and Sanskrit universities will become multidisciplinary institutions offering teaching and research on Sanskrit and Sanskrit Knowledge Systems, with the professionalization of Sanskrit teachers through integrated B.Ed. dual degree programs. India plans to expand its institutes and universities dedicated to studying classical languages, literature, and Indian arts, focusing on collecting, preserving, translating, and studying numerous manuscripts.
These institutions will be merged with universities while maintaining autonomy, offering multidisciplinary programs and potentially B.Ed. dual degrees in education and language. A new institution for Languages and National Institutes for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit will also be established within university campuses, with research support from the NRF. India will actively work to preserve and promote all its languages, using technology and public involvement. Academies will be established for languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution to create updated dictionaries for widespread use in education and beyond, with input from experts and the public, in both print and online formats, involving both Central and State Governments.
A web-based platform or wiki will be created to document all Indian languages, along with their associated arts and culture, to preserve them, especially endangered ones. This platform will include videos, dictionaries, recordings, and more, contributed by people across the country, and universities will collaborate with communities to enrich these platforms, with funding provided by the NRF. Scholarships will be provided for people of all ages to learn Indian languages, arts, and culture from local experts or within higher education. Incentives like awards for outstanding work in Indian languages, including poetry, prose, textbooks, and journalism, will be introduced to encourage the use and vibrancy of these languages, with language proficiency becoming a qualification for employment opportunities.
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