India’s Endangered Languages
Endangered Languages in India are not just fading words — they are entire ways of life at risk of disappearing. While different agencies report different numbers, experts warn that many native tongues need urgent help. The government’s SPPEL project has listed 117 mother-tongues (each spoken by fewer than 10,000 people) for documentation, while UNESCO flags about 197 Indian languages as endangered under its own categories. The Census, counting many local names and dialect labels, records over 19,500 mother-tongues. These differences come from how each body defines and counts languages, but the clear truth is the same: many of India’s voices are in danger.
Why endangered languages in India are disappearing
There are simple, everyday reasons why endangered languages in India are losing speakers. Young people move to cities for work and switch to Hindi, English, or regional languages. Schools usually teach in dominant languages, not small local tongues. Media, films and social platforms rarely use rare languages, so children do not grow up hearing them. When parents think in terms of jobs and opportunities, they often stop teaching the smaller language, and a generation grows up without it.
Which languages are most at risk
Instead of one single list, we have several. UNESCO’s list names about 197 endangered languages in India, which includes a range from vulnerable to critically endangered. The government’s SPPEL list focuses on 117 mother-tongues with very small speaker numbers and immediate need for documentation. Examples of languages or dialects under threat include small tribal tongues and local dialects in the Northeast, central India, and parts of the South. Because of different criteria, the exact names in each list do not completely match — but many important languages appear on both.
What we lose when a language dies
When endangered languages in India vanish, we lose more than words. We lose songs, old stories, farming knowledge, healing recipes, place-names and the way a community sees the world. Traditional knowledge about seasons, plants or fishing is often encoded in local words. Once the speakers are gone, that local knowledge can vanish with them. A dead language means a smaller human story for everyone.
Are current efforts enough to save them?
There are several good efforts, but work is still limited. The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), state bodies, universities and many NGOs document languages and collect recordings. SPPEL is a government push to focus on small mother-tongues. But documentation without living speakers does not revive a language. Revival needs schools, local media, community pride and practical use in daily life. In many places, help is only beginning.
How technology can help save endangered languages in India
Technology is a big help if used well. Digital audio archives, mobile apps, community YouTube channels, and AI transcription tools can record stories and make learning materials. Simple steps like creating online dictionaries, subtitled videos, or school content in the local language can make a real difference. Some languages have gained more visibility because of podcasts and social media pages run by local youth. Technology alone cannot save a language, but it can make survival easier.
Simple ways people can help
Speak your mother tongue at home and teach children basic words.
Record elders telling stories; upload audio or video files to public archives.
Use local language in festivals, folk events and school plays.
Support local writers and artists who write or sing in small languages.
These small steps add up and help keep the language alive in daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How many endangered languages are there in India?
A: Counts differ. UNESCO lists about 197 endangered languages, the government SPPEL project highlights 117 mother-tongues needing urgent documentation, and the Census reports over 19,500 mother-tongue names (many of which are local dialect labels). The different numbers reflect different methods and definitions.
Q2: Why do the numbers (117, 197, 19,500) not match?
A: Each source uses different rules. SPPEL tracks very small mother-tongues (under 10,000 speakers). UNESCO uses categories like vulnerable or critically endangered. The Census records every reported mother-tongue name, including many local or variant names, which inflates the total.
Q3: Can technology really help?
A: Because each language carries unique cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and identity that can’t be replaced once lost.
Q4: Can technology save dying languages?
A: Yes, through digital archives, AI translation, podcasts, and educational content, technology can help preserve and revive endangered languages.
Q5: What can individuals do to save their language?
A: Yes — technology can record audio, create learning apps, and make dictionaries. But real revival needs community use, schools and pride in the language.
Q6: What role can government and schools play?
A: Governments can fund documentation, include local languages in primary school teaching, and support local media. Schools can add basics of local language and culture into the curriculum.
Q7: What happens if a language dies completely?
A: Unique stories, songs, local science and ways of thinking often disappear. Re-creating them is nearly impossible once native speakers are gone.
Act now to protect India’s voices
Endangered languages in India are part of the country’s identity and wisdom. The different numbers and lists (SPPEL’s 117, UNESCO’s ~197, Census’s many thousands) show complexity, but they all point to a single urgent need: action. Recording, teaching, and everyday use — not just study — are the keys. If families, schools, governments and digital creators work together now, India’s vanishing voices can have a chance to live on.