New Linguistic Survey of India to be taken up in April '07

Mysore, Nov 16 (UNI) The Union Human Resources Development Ministry has entrusted with the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) here the national project of taking up the New Linguistic Survey of India (NLSI) for the next ten years, commencing from April 2007.

The NLSI would not only fill the gaps left in the earlier surveys and linguistic research, but also provide a landmark in the history of linguistic research in India. It would open up new vistas for future linguistic research on the vast linguistic potential of the country.

As more than a century had passed since Sir George Griersons' Linguistic Survey of India (LSI) (1898-1927) had begun and 80 years since it was last revised, the need for a fresh linguistic survey was being urgently felt.

Talking to UNI here, CIIL Deputy Director Prof Rajesh Sachdeva said the advances in language technology and mass communication now locate language as a service, thereby posing new challenges to the perpetuation and maintenance of India's linguistic diversity. The new survey, by providing rigorous scientific description of all the languages of India, would provide the base for uniform access to these scientific advances. The NLSI would conclusively demonstrate the standards India sets for responsible and responsive governance, dignity and respect for diversity, he added.

He said the budget for the project would be Rs 280 crore, to be released by the HRD Ministry during the 11th five-year plan. As many as 40 universities under the University Grants Commission (UGC) have been selected for the project. The Centre would release Rs 200 crore to the UGC, which would in turn disburse the appropriate amount to the varsities and institutions on a direction from an Empowered Committee constituted by the Ministry. The Ministry would release Rs 80 crore to the CIIL, a wing of the department of higher education under the HRD Ministry, for coordinating activities under the NLSI, he added.

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