Consider the following statements:
- 21stFebruary is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
- 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?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2021 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect. 21 February is declared as International Mother Language Day by UNESCO. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
Statement 2 is correct. In 1948, the-then Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that “Urdu, and only Urdu” would be the official language.