• Teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach, and use bilingual teaching-learning materials, with those students whose home language may be different from the medium of instruction. • A language does not need to be the medium of instruction for it to be taught and learned well. • Children will be exposed to different languages early on (but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue), starting from the Foundational Stage onwards. • High-quality bilingual textbooks and teaching-learning materials will be prepared for science and mathematics, so that students are enabled to think and speak about the two subjects both in their home language/mother tongue and in English. • Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardised across the country. Local sign languages will be respected and taught as well, where possible and relevant. 4.3 Challenges in mother tongue education According to UNESCO estimates, 40 per cent of the world's population lacks access to education in a language they can comprehend or speak. There are approximately 7,097 living languages currently, of which 50 per cent are in Asia-Pacific.24 However, due to the alarming rate at which languages are vanishing, linguistic diversity is coming under greater threat. Furthermore, when a language dies, a whole cultural and intellectual legacy goes with it. Teaching in the mother tongue is easier said than done, as there are several challenges that need to be overcome, to get there. 4.3.1 Availability of high-quality material: India has many different languages and dialects, therefore, producing high-quality instructional materials in each of them takes time and effort. Providing top-notch educational resources in local languages will necessitate a large investment in infrastructure and resources. Post NEP 2020, to provide standardized instructional materials in regional languages, the Central and state governments are collaborating with educational institutions, experts, and other stakeholders. 4.3.2 Standardising evaluations: The standardisation of the evaluation process may be hampered by using different languages for tests. Students from one part of the country may find it difficult to participate in assessments in another part of the country. The government and educational institutions need to provide educators with language training in their native regions and make sure they are aware of the evaluation criteria to overcome this challenge. 4.3.3 Availability of qualified and language-specific teachers: Another issue that NEP 2020 has pointed out that needs to be addressed is the availability of qualified teachers who can communicate clearly in local languages. Investment in training and in development of materials to make sure that teachers are prepared to teach in these languages has been initiated. 24 UNESCO, https://bangkok.unesco.org/content/mother-tongue-based-education-unesco-infographics-1 54 Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, Vol. 22, 2023