KATHMANDU: The Language Commission has started preservation of a total of 37 languages with less than 1,000 native speakers and thereby on the brink of extinction.

Among the 37 languages, 23 were on the verge of extinction.

Commission’s Chairperson Dr Lavdev Awasthi said that the Commission began preservation of those languages in association of the University Grant Commission.

Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Maheshwor Neupane viewed that the State should ensure that mechanism, infrastructures and human resources to provide education to students in their respective mother languages as mandated by the constitution.

He underscored coordination among three-tier government to preserve and conserve mother languages.

Likewise, member-secretary at the Academy Jagat Prasad Upadhyay underlined coordination among various universities and stakeholder agencies to provide education in various mother languages.

He shared that a study showed that every 15 days, two languages were being extinct across the world.

UNSECO representatives Nirjana Sharma, representatives from the Bangladeshi Embassy in Nepal Ishrat Jahan, scholar Yogendra Prasad Yadav among others reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the collaboration among the stakeholders for the preservation of the mother languages.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Programme (UNESCO) in 2000 declared to observe International Mother Language Day on every February 21.