Language Commission to get full shape, open provincial offices soon

Kathmandu, February 24

With the formation of provincial governments in all the provinces, Language Commission is set get full shape and open its offices in all seven provinces.

According to commission Chair Lab Dev Awasthi, the commission will get full shape once all the provincial governments recommend representatives from their provinces. “We have started formulation of regulations and once it is done the commission will get full shape.”

According to Awasthi, the commission is working on a plan to preserve 29 languages which are on the verge of extinction. As per the government’s data, Kushunda, Shiuwa, Surel, Raute and Byasi are some of the languages which are on the verge of extinction.

The commission was formed on September 8, 2016 in accordance to Article 287 of the constitution. The article has set the function, duties and authority of the Language Commission. The commission is mandated to determine criteria to be fulfiled for the recognition of official languages and make recommendations on languages to the Government of Nepal. Likewise, the commission is to make recommendations to the Government of Nepal on measures to be adopted for protection, promotion and development of languages.

The article also mandated the commission to measure levels of development of mother tongues.

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