APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 21/01/2026

Model answer

In the context of Assam, examine the significance of digitising endangered indigenous languages and discuss the challenges involved in such preservation efforts.
(15 marks)

Model Answer

Introduction

The Assam Tribune (21 January 2026) highlighted urgent efforts to digitise endangered indigenous languages of Assam, including Khamyang, Tai Phake, and Singpho. The initiative assumes critical importance as the Khamyang language reportedly has only one fluent speaker remaining, signalling an imminent risk of linguistic extinction. This development brings to the fore the broader challenge of preserving India’s intangible cultural heritage amid rapid socio-cultural change.

Body

A. Significance of Digitising Endangered Indigenous Languages

1. Preservation of Cultural Identity

• Language embodies a community’s history, traditions, and worldview.
• Loss of language leads to erosion of collective identity and cultural continuity.

2. Safeguarding Linguistic Diversity

• Assam is among India’s most linguistically diverse States.
• Digitisation counters homogenisation caused by dominance of major languages.

3. Inter-Generational Knowledge Transfer

• Digital archives enable younger generations to access:
  • Oral traditions
  • Folklore
  • Indigenous knowledge systems

4. Academic and Research Value

• Indigenous languages contain unique insights related to ecology, social organisation, and traditional practices.
• Digitised resources support linguistic, anthropological, and historical research.

B. Challenges in Language Digitisation

1. Vanishing Speaker Base

• With extremely few fluent speakers, documentation becomes a race against time.

2. Community Participation

• Successful preservation requires trust and active involvement of language communities.

3. From Archive to Living Language

• Digitisation risks reducing languages to museum artefacts unless supported by revival efforts.

4. Resource and Expertise Constraints

• Linguistic documentation demands trained experts, technology, and sustained funding.

C. Way Forward

• Community-Centric Approach: Empower indigenous communities as custodians of their languages.
• Educational Integration: Use digitised material in schools and cultural institutions.
• Living Language Strategy: Encourage everyday conversational use alongside archiving.
• Institutional Support: Scale up initiatives with long-term funding and policy backing.

Conclusion As highlighted in the Assam Tribune, digitizing endangered indigenous languages is not merely a technical exercise but an act of cultural responsibility and inter-generational justice. While digital preservation alone cannot revive spoken traditions, it provides a crucial foundation for cultural continuity, research, and possible revival. For Assam, protecting linguistic diversity is essential to safeguarding its plural social fabric and enriching India’s composite cultural heritage.