11 December: ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Divas’

• 05 Nov 2022

The University Grants Commission has recently written to vice-chancellors and principals of all universities and colleges to observe 11th December as ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Divas’.

• The move of the UGC comes after recommendations of a committee - Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti - which was formed in 2021 by the Education Ministry to promote Indian languages. Chamu Krishna Shastry is the chairperson of the language committee.
• The committee has proposed to observe December 11 as ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Diwas’ or ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav’ on the birth anniversary of poet Subramania Bharati, a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry who penned songs to kindle patriotism during the Independence movement.
• The reason behind choosing the birth anniversary of Bharati to observe the day is “Bharati in his time was considered to be the bridge between the North and the South. Observing his Jayanti as Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav day would once again strengthen the national unity.