Dynamics of Celebrating Mother Tongue Day in Multilingual and Digital India

India, with its vast linguistic diversity, is home to 1,652 mother tongues, making it one of the most complex multilingual nations in the world. However, globalization, urbanization, and the increasing dominance of English and Hindi have marginalized many indigenous languages, posing a serious threat to their survival. International Mother Language Day (IMLD), observed annually on February 21st, serves as a global initiative to promote linguistic diversity and protect endangered languages. This article explores the challenges of preserving mother tongues in India’s sociolinguistic landscape, highlighting the historical context, policy interventions, and technological advancements aimed at safeguarding linguistic heritage. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has reinforced mother tongue-based education, but its implementation remains a challenge due to infrastructure gaps and societal attitudes favoring English. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies offer promising solutions, yet the dominance of English in digital spaces limits access for many regional languages. Government initiatives such as the Bhashini Project aim to bridge this gap, but concerted efforts are needed to integrate regional languages into education, media, and technology. The discussion underscores the importance of preserving mother tongues as an integral part of India’s cultural identity and socio-economic progress while advocating for inclusive language policies in an increasingly digital world.