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APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 17/4/2025

For APSC CCE and other Assam Competitive examinations aspirants, practicing Daily Answer Writing is vital. This blog covers the most important Main question and its model Answer from the Assam Tribune today (17-04-2025).

📝 Mains Question (GS Paper 2 & 3 – Governance | Federalism | Society | Language Policy)

“Language is not just a means of administration, but a marker of identity, inclusion, and federal balance.”
In the light of the recent declaration of Assamese as the official language in three autonomous councils, critically examine the role of language policy in a multicultural state like Assam.

✅ Model Answer

🔹 Introduction

Language policy in a diverse state like Assam is a delicate balancing act between fostering administrative uniformity and respecting the linguistic rights of different communities. The Assam Government’s decision to declare Assamese as the official language in Moran, Matak, and Kamatapur Autonomous Councils reflects this complexity, igniting both support and apprehension.

🔹 Significance of the Move

Dimension	Impact
Administrative Efficiency	Using Assamese across councils ensures easier coordination with state departments.
Cultural Consolidation	Strengthens Assamese as a shared civilizational identity in the Brahmaputra Valley.
State Identity Assertion	Counters fragmentation arising from sub-ethnic language demands.
Linguistic Visibility	Promotes the use of Assamese in official records, education, and governance.

🔹 Concerns and Challenges

Issue	Explanation
Linguistic Marginalization	Groups like the Rajbanshis in Kamatapur fear erasure of their own language aspirations.
Autonomy vs Centralization	Imposing a state language on autonomous councils may undermine the spirit of decentralization.
Democratic Deficit	Questions over whether the decision was consulted with local communities or elected bodies.
Policy-Practice Gap	Language use on paper may not translate into real administrative empowerment or accessibility.

🔹 Constitutional and Policy Framework

Article 347: Empowers recognition of additional official languages on demand of substantial populations.
Article 350A: Guarantees mother tongue instruction at the primary level for linguistic minorities.
NEP 2020: Advocates multilingualism and encourages mother-tongue education, especially in tribal areas.
Sixth Schedule (where applicable): Empowers autonomous councils to legislate on cultural and language matters.

🔹 Way Forward: A Linguistically Sensitive Policy

1. Official Multilingualism

Adopt Assamese + regional language as dual official languages where demanded (e.g., Assamese + Rajbanshi).

2. Language Mapping

Conduct detailed surveys to determine the linguistic profile of council areas before policy decisions.

3. Decentralized Language Committees

Let Autonomous Councils decide language use for education and administration, in consultation with communities.

4. Language Rights Awareness

Launch campaigns on constitutional provisions and rights of linguistic minorities.

5. Cultural Integration, Not Assimilation

Promote festivals, texts, and oral traditions of all communities to build a pluralistic identity.

🔹 Conclusion

Language policy, when executed without cultural sensitivity, can deepen social fault lines. In Assam — a linguistic and ethnic mosaic — the challenge is not merely administrative, but deeply democratic. A bottom-up, inclusive, and flexible approach to language recognition is the only way to ensure that state unity does not come at the cost of local identity.

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