Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages

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Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL)

The Ministry of Education (erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development), Government of India, instituted the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) at the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru in 2013 with an aim of preserving and documenting the endangered & lesser-known languages that are at the verge of extinction in India. The objective of SPPEL is to produce grammatical sketch, bi-lingual/trilingual dictionaries (print and electronic formats), pictorial glossaries and ethno-linguistic profile of the community. It plays a major role in building the resources and training the manpower in language documentation and digital archiving of endangered languages. Besides, it also acts as a platform for academic deliberations on language endangerment and language documentation involving both the community members, language enthusiasts and linguists.

The documentation of 117 languages is identified in the Phase I. For research and administrative convenience, the languages identified by SPPEL are divided into six zones: North Eastern Zone, East Central Zone, West Central Zone, Southern Zone, Northern Zone and The Andamanese. SPPEL has collaborated with various universities and institutes across India involving linguists, folklorists, and language archivists for furthering this mission.

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  • Aimol
    Aimol is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Manipur by one of the recognized tribes of the region.
  • Aranadan
    The Aranadan (also known as Eranadar) is one of the common primitive tribal communities found mainly in the Malapuram District of Kerala.
  • Atong
    Atong is a language of the Tibeto-Burman language family, mainly spoken in the South Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya, a state in North-East India.
  • Beda
    The Bedas are primarily found in some villages of Leh, particularly in areas like Chuchot Yokma, Fiang, Nubra Valley, and a few others, as well as in parts of Himachal Pradesh.
  • Bhadralium
    Bhadralium is spoken by the community living in Tipri village, located in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Bharwad
    The Bharwad people are found throughout the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The Bharwad community in Saurashtra is divided into two endogamous groups: Mota Bhai and Nana Bhai.
  • Bhunjia
    Bhunjia tribes are inhabited in the Nuapada district in the western part of Odisha. Bhunjia belongs to Indo-Aryan language family.
  • Biate
    The Biate language is spoken by the Biate community as their mother tongue in the Saipung area of East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya.
  • Birhor
    Birhor belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family. It does not have a script and is performed orally. Birhor is listed among the endangered languages in India.
  • Birjia
    Birjia community is commonly assumed to belong to the Munda group of the Austro-Asiatic language family.