Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that the new education policy reflects the commitment of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government towards the preservation, development and empowerment of all Indian languages.

On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, Shah said the mother tongue is a powerful medium of expression and inspires people to stay connected with one's cultural heritage. "Our new education policy reflects the commitment of the Modi government towards the preservation, development and empowerment of all Indian languages," he tweeted in Hindi.

Maximum efforts should be made for the use of mother tongue and foster the wisdom passed on by to strengthen the foundation of the country's culture in children, he further said.

The observance of International Mother Language Day on February 21, 1952, began after East Pakistan started protests against the imposition of Urdu in Bangladesh. This led to the inception Bangla language movement. UNESCO has recognised the day in 1999 to celebrate and preserve indigenous languages across the globe.