NEW DELHI, Dec. 4 -- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged all higher secondary institutions (HEIs) across the country to implement guidelines framed by the "Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti" (BBS) under the "Learn One More Bharatiya Bhasha" initiative, aimed at promoting multilingualism and strengthening cultural integration. BBS, a high-powered committee established in November 2021 by the Union education ministry, was formed to promote Indian languages as envisioned in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. As part of the initiative, students will be "motivated" to learn one more Indian language besides their mother tongue, local language, or any language they have already studied. The directive, issued by UGC secretary Prof Manish R Joshi on December 2, emphasised the NEP 2020's focus on multilingual education to foster national unity and inclusive development. "The initiative aims to encourage students and faculty members to learn an additional Indian language, particularly from a different state or region to strengthen cross-cultural understanding, enhance employability and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047," Joshi said. The directive comes at a time when several states have courted controversy over language policies. Tamil Nadu has repeatedly resisted the "imposition" of Hindi under the three language formula of NEP 2020 and Karnataka has seen growing opposition to mandatory Hindi in schools, with the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) urging the state government to adopt a two language policy (regional language alongwith English)....