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The International Year of Indigenous Languages was observed by the United Nations in:
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Answer: Option B — 2019
Detailed Solution
The United Nations observed 2019 as the "International Year of Indigenous Languages" (IYIL 2019).
About the International Year:
- It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2016.
- UNESCO was the lead agency for organising it.
- Its aim was to draw attention to the loss of indigenous languages and the need to preserve, revitalise and promote them.
About 6,700 languages are spoken in the world; about 40 per cent of them are in danger of disappearing. Most endangered languages are indigenous languages.
The year was followed by the "International Decade of Indigenous Languages" (2022-2032), also led by UNESCO, which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2019.
Related days:
International Mother Language Day: 21 February (proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999; observed since 2000). It commemorates the Bengali Language Movement in Dhaka (East Pakistan) in 1952.
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 9 August.
International Year of Languages: 2008.
Languages in India:
- India has 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- According to the 2011 Census, 121 major languages and 270 mother tongues were identified (after rationalisation of the 19,569 raw returns).
- UNESCO's "Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger" lists about 197 Indian languages as endangered, the largest number for any country.
- The government's "Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages" (SPPEL), started in 2013, is implemented by the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru.
- India has eleven classical languages: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu and Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014), and Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali (2024).
- The "Bhashini" platform (2022) uses artificial intelligence to translate between Indian languages.
Other international years:
- 2016: International Year of Pulses.
- 2022: International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.
- 2023: International Year of Millets (proposed by India).
Why not the other options?
- ✗2008 was the International Year of Languages.
- ✗2016 was the International Year of Pulses.
- ✗2022 was the start of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Quick tip
Remember: International Year of Indigenous Languages = 2019 (UNESCO lead); Decade of Indigenous Languages = 2022-2032; International Mother Language Day = 21 February; International Year of Millets = 2023; 11 classical languages in India.
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Languages & Scripts — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Languages & Scripts, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the languages of India, the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, classical languages, official languages of states, scripts such as Brahmi, Kharosthi and Devanagari, and the most widely spoken languages of the world. Questions often ask which languages have classical status, which language is official in a particular state, or how many languages the Eighth Schedule contains. Remember the amendments that added languages to the Eighth Schedule (for example, the 92nd Amendment added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali). Because the list of classical languages has grown over time, check the latest official count before your exam. Practise the languages and scripts questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.