Question map
Consider the following statements : 1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF. 2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2.
Statement 1 is incorrect because International Mother Language Day was declared by the UNESCO General Conference in November 1999, not by UNICEF. The initiative was a tribute to the Language Movement in Bangladesh.
Statement 2 is correct. In February 1948, during a session of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi, Dhirendranath Datta (a member from East Bengal) moved an amendment demanding that Bengali (Bangla) be used along with Urdu and English for official proceedings. He argued that Bengali was the mother tongue of the majority (56%) of Pakistan's population. This demand was initially rejected by the Pakistani leadership, triggering the historic Bhasha Andolan (Language Movement) which eventually led to Bengali being recognized as a state language in the 1956 Constitution of Pakistan.
Thus, only the second statement accurately reflects historical facts regarding the constitutional struggle for linguistic rights.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question uses the classic 'Agency Swap' trap (UNICEF vs UNESCO) to test your alertness, combined with a niche historical fact about the Bangla Language Movement. The strategy is simple: for every International Day, map the specific UN body (Culture = UNESCO, Children = UNICEF) and the historical event triggering it.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states which organization originally proclaimed the day.
- Says it was "first proclaimed by UNESCO and later adopted by the UN General Assembly," indicating UNESCO (not UNICEF) declared it.
- Identifies the decision-making body that approved the observance.
- Says it "was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference," tying the origin to UNESCO rather than UNICEF.
- Directly states the proclamation source for the day.
- Confirms the day "was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)."
Explains the concept and prevalence of 'mother tongue' and shows large linguistic diversity — establishes that 'mother language' is a meaningful category for policy/observance.
A student could note that such wide diversity makes an international observance plausible and then check which international body (e.g., UN agencies) issues such observances and on what dates.
Gives concrete data on the number of languages/dialects and language loss, highlighting international concern about protecting mother tongues.
Use this to infer why an international day for mother languages might exist, then look up which organization (UNESCO/UNICEF) created the observance and its date.
Mentions 'Mother-tongue, facilities for instruction' — shows that 'mother-tongue' is a recognized policy term tied to education and rights.
From the policy relevance of 'mother-tongue', a student could reasonably suspect international attention and check official proclamations by international agencies.
Describes official use of mother-tongue in Parliament (permission to address in mother-tongue), showing institutional recognition of mother languages.
This institutional recognition suggests why international bodies might promote a mother-language day; one could then verify which agency declared it and the specific date.
Gives an example of an international day (World Wetlands Day, 2 February) and notes links between such days and international agreements/organisations, illustrating the pattern of agencies declaring annual observances.
Use this pattern to guide a search: check which international agency (UN body, UNESCO, UNICEF, treaty secretariat) proclaimed a 'Mother Language' day and the official date.
Shows that a separate Constituent Assembly for Pakistan was set up in mid‑1947 — establishing the institutional forum where such language demands could have been raised.
A student could check records or debates of that Pakistan Constituent Assembly (dates/membership) to see if language demands appear there.
Describes protests in East Pakistan specifically demanding protection of Bengali language and fair representation — evidence that there was an organized demand for Bangla recognition.
Combine this with knowledge of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly’s timeline to see whether these protests coincided with assembly sittings and thus might have been brought up there.
Reports that East Pakistanis resented Bengali being sidelined and that Mujibur Rahman demanded greater autonomy — indicating political leaders voiced linguistic grievances publicly.
A student could trace speeches or motions by East Pakistani leaders (e.g., Awami League) in the Constituent Assembly to test whether language demands entered formal debate.
Notes that demands for linguistic reorganisation were raised in a Constituent Assembly context (India) — establishing a pattern that language issues were sometimes raised in constituent assemblies.
Use this pattern to justify examining the Pakistan Constituent Assembly records for analogous language debates over Bangla.
- [THE VERDICT]: Trap + Bouncer. Statement 1 is a standard 'Agency Swap' trap (UNICEF instead of UNESCO). Statement 2 is a historical 'Deep Cut' (Dhirendranath Datta's motion).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: International Organizations (UN Observances) & Post-Independence South Asian History (Language Movements).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize Agency Mandates: UNESCO (Culture/Heritage/Education), UNICEF (Children/Health), UNDP (Development). Key Dates: 21 Feb (Language Martyrs' Day, 1952), 10 Dec (Human Rights), 5 June (Environment). Key Person: Dhirendranath Datta (raised the Bangla demand in 1948).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Never memorize a 'Day' without its 'Parent Body'. Ask: Does the agency's mandate fit the topic? UNICEF deals with child survival, not linguistic heritage. This mismatch is your cue to eliminate.
Distinguishes 'mother tongue' from official or national language status, which is central to questions about celebrating mother languages.
High-yield for polity and social-cultural sections: helps answer questions on language rights, minority protections, and constitutional language provisions; links to debates on linguistic federalism and education policy. Enables candidates to explain why states may protect mother tongues even when a language is official.
- Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Language policy > p. 20
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 33: LANGUAGES > LANGUAGES > p. 465
Covers legal recognition and institutional provisions for certain languages, relevant when assessing international observances tied to mother-language promotion.
Important for questions on constitutional safeguards, parliamentary language procedures, and language policy implementation; connects to exam items on language rights, administrative language use, and simultaneous interpretation in legislatures.
- Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Language policy > p. 20
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 23: Parliament > Language in Parliament > p. 238
Provides empirical basis on mother-tongue distribution and diversity that underpins why mother-language observances matter.
Valuable for essays and answers requiring demographic backing on linguistic plurality; links to topics in culture, federalism, and education policy, and helps frame arguments about minority language protection and policy prioritization.
- Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Linguistic diversity of India + > p. 22
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > Language as a Determinant of Cultural Region > p. 44
Knowledge of when and how Pakistan's Constituent Assembly was formed and who attended determines whether it was a forum where language demands could be formally raised.
High-yield for constitutional-history questions: explains the institutional venue for early post‑Partition political claims, ties to Partition and separate assemblies, and helps answer questions about legitimacy, representation, and where policy demands were aired. Useful across questions on state formation and legislative processes.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 35: Making of the Constitution for India > Two Constituent Assemblies: India and Pakistan > p. 614
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 2: THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 18
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 2: Making of the Constitution > WORKING OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY > p. 12
Bengali cultural and linguistic grievances, demands for fair representation, and calls for autonomy underpinned calls for recognition of Bangla.
Essential for modern South Asia polity and history: links language movements to political mobilisation (e.g., Awami League), federalism and autonomy demands, and the causes of later constitutional and separatist developments. Enables answers on identity politics, causes of conflict, and language policy.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia > Democracy in Bangladesh > p. 34
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > The Indo-Pak War of 1971 and the Birth of Bangladesh > p. 693
Debates about forming linguistic units highlight central resistance to language‑based demands and the tension between linguistic claims and the goal of national unity.
Important for questions on federalism and administrative reorganisation: shows the policy dilemma between accommodating linguistic identities and preserving state cohesion, connects to commissions and legislative responses, and helps frame comparative questions on language policy in postcolonial states.
- Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Linguistic States > p. 20
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Linguistic Reorganisation of the States > p. 637
The specific individual who raised the demand in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly was Dhirendranath Datta (a Congress member from East Pakistan) on February 23, 1948. It was rejected by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
Apply 'Mandate Mapping': UNICEF = United Nations Children's Fund (Health, Nutrition, Emergency). Mother Language = Culture & Education. This falls under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The mismatch makes Statement 1 incorrect immediately.
Connects to GS1 (Post-Independence Consolidation & Linguistic Reorganization) and GS2 (India-Bangladesh Relations). The 1952 Language Movement is the bedrock of Bangladesh's national identity and India's 'Neighborhood First' cultural diplomacy.