New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS): To sensitise people on the need to impart communication skills and develop proficiency in mother tongue, the government will celebrate Matribhasha Divas Saturday across the country, an official statement said here Friday.

"The focus will be on India's vast and diverse language heritage and on ways and means to preserve and support about 3,000 mother tongues," the human resource development (HRD) ministry said in statement.

All schools, colleges, universities and language-related institutions under both central and state governments would celebrate the occasion by holding seminars, workshops and special lectures on the importance of mother tongue, it added.

As part of the celebration, general knowledge competitions on Indian language heritage and exhibition on Indian mother tongues would also be held. Besides, language festivals too will be held across the country.

"Schools and colleges are encouraged to take up year-long activities to facilitate using one's own mother tongue better and learning others' mother tongue faster and also to create a congenial atmosphere for appreciating and encouraging all Indian languages," the statement added.

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani would attend an event on the occasion of Matribhasha Divas in Chennai's Ethiraj College.

The event will see release if 1,008 books of Central Institute of Indian Languages; 10 books of Central Institute of Classical Tamil; and five books of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan.

UNESCO has been observing Feb 21 as International Mother Language Day to promote mother tongues and increase awareness of the linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world.