UGC asks varsities to celebrate Matribhasha Diwas on February 21

The University Grants Commission (UGC), the national higher education supervisory body working under the direction of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has asked all the universities to celebrate Matribhasha Diwas on February 21 on the occasion of 'International Mother Language Day'. February 21 is celebrated every year as 'International Mother Language Day' to endorse the propagation of mother tongue and complete awareness of cultural and linguistic traditions across the globe. It is celebrated to motivate harmony based on tolerance, dialogue, and understanding.

The Commission also informed, in case the colleges are not working on February 21 on account of Mahashivaratri, they may celebrate it a day prior to or a day after February 21. A letter from the UGC Secretary asked the universities to celebrate the occasion to emphasise the linguistic diversity of our country, boost usage, not only of the corresponding mother-tongue but other Indian languages as well, to fathom and draw attention to the assortment of cultures, in India and the consequent mediums of craft, performing arts, scripts, literature and other types of creative expression and also to motivate the learning of languages, other than one’s own mother tongue.

The letter informed that the occasion could be celebrated by holding a number of activities such as singing, essay writing, painting competitions, music, dramatic performance, exhibitions, and elocution, etc. It also said that any other way other than the above-mentioned could also be put to use to celebrate the occasion. The report on the celebration of the occasion has been asked to be uploaded on the UGC Activity Monitoring portal - www.ugc.ac.in/uamp by 5 P.M on February 22, 2020.

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