As directed by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav with the theme, ‘भाषाएँ अनेक, भाव एक’ will be conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education for 75 days from 28th September to 11th December, 2023. The initiative is to promote language learning through the use of regional languages and technology. During this programme, the activities are to be conducted at all levels i.e., the schools, BRCs/CRCs/Panchayats, districts (including at the DIETs), state and national level to build up the momentum for the grand finale Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav on 11th December, the Janma Jayanti of the great nationalist Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, who was popularly known as “Mahakavi Bharati”, a freedom fighter and a social reformer in Tamil Nadu.
The inaugural programme of the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav will be held at national level in New Delhi on 30 September 2023. In continuation of this, a two-day Summit regarding0 “Technology and Bhartiya Bhasha” will also be held during 30th September – 1 st October, 2023. The final culmination program of Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav will be organised in Delhi on 11th December, 2023.
Considering the large number of languages being spoken across the country, the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav also plans to provide multilingual exposure to students in different regional languages. This is an endeavour meant to create interest in these languages and enhance linguistic tolerance, thereby promoting national integration.
To ensure greater exposure and celebrate linguistic diversity, there will be “Partnership among Schools” i.e., at least 1% of schools in every state/UT will be paired with the schools in another linguistically different area. These paired schools should communicate with each other at least three times during the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav through virtual mode. Activities such as cultural programmes, debates, quizzes, interface of students/teachers, etc., can be held during the above-said interactions of the paired schools. The pairing of State of “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat” may be followed vide CBSE Circular No. Acad-54/2023 dated 25.04.2023.
The National Education Policy 2020, while deliberating on language education in school emphasises the need for recognising and promoting multilingualism as a path to realising the fundamental aims of education and schooling. Moreover, since times immemorial, Indian languages have coexisted, complemented and enriched each other, thus contributing to the unity and harmony of the nation. In the process of understanding Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, students need to also experience and enjoy the underlying oneness of India in the linguistic diversity.
CBSE has requested School Heads to disseminate the above information amongst all the students, teachers and stakeholders to encourage them to participate in this 75 Days Bhartiya Bhasha Utsav from 28th September to 11th December, 2023. In order to monitor, the effective conduct of activities through these 75 days Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav, a page is being developed on NCERT Portal.
