Government committed to promotion of all Indian Languages : PM
INDIAN LANGUAGES PROMOTION COUNCIL MEETS
The Prime Minister today reiterated government’s commitment to promotion of Indian languages. He also underlined the need for translating the rich heritage of different Indian languages into other languages. Shri Vajpayee was addressing the Indian Languages Promotion Council which held its first meeting here today.
The Indian Languages Promotion Council has been constituted to give advice and suggestions to the government for measures to be taken for the development, propagation and promotion of the Indian languages. The Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Council and the HRD Minister, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, the Deputy Chairman. All the important languages are represented in the Council by prominent experts and literary figures.
Dr. Joshi informed the Council about various steps taken by the government in the recent past for promotion of Indian languages. He also called for use of new technology for promotion and development of languages and literature. The government has started a ‘Sanskrit net’ programme in the Gyan Darshan channel and a ‘Tamil online’ programme for self-learning of these languages, he said.
Backgrounder:
The Government of India has already taken various measures for development, propagation and promotion of Indian languages. For this purpose, difference language institutes are already working for development of languages besides the teaching in regular universities/institutions. A brief sketch of these institutes is given below:-
Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi - The Sansthan which is now a deemed university, with its ten centres all over the country and headquarters in New Delhi is an apex body for propagation and development of Sanskrit language and provides a platform for teaching and learning Sanskrit both for formal and informal learning and also provides financial assistance to voluntary organizations engaged in development and promotion of Sanskrit language.
Mahrishi Sandipani Rashtriya Ved Vidya Pratishthan, Ujjain - The Pratisthan is working towards promotion and development of oral traditions of vedic studies and provides assistance to various Vedic Sanskrit Pathshalas and traditional institutions and scholars throughout the country.
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, New Delhi and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati are designated as two deemed universities for teaching and learning of Sanskrit from Shastri to Vidya Vachaspati (D.Lit.), Tirupati Vidyapeeth has well equipped computer centre and publishes Sanskrit Vigyan Vaibhavam series to promote scientific knowledge in Sanskrit.
In order to reach out to larger audience, the three Sanskrit institutes in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) have launched a Sanskrit Net Programme in Bhasha Mandakini channel on Gyan Darshan. The effort is to simplify the teaching of Sanskrit to the common man as well as to explore the Sanskrit literature and other aspects of the language.
Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra – The Sansthan with its six centres throughout the country and headquarters at Agra is dedicated to training Hindi teachers from non-Hindi speaking States and developing lexical resources for the pedagogical development in Hindi. It also teaches Hindi to foreigners and provides them scholarships under its programme of Propagation of Hindi abroad.
Central Hindi Directorate, New Delhi – The Directorate with its four centres located at Guwahati, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad and headquarters in Delhi is developing various dictionaries in Hindi and other Indian languages besides Hindi learning material for people from non-Hindi speaking States. The Directorate also promotes activities of NGOs in propagating Hindi in non-Hindi speaking States.
Commission for Scientific & Technical Terminology, New Delhi – The Commission with its headquarters in Delhi effectively coordinates with various technical institutes for evolving uniform terminology in Hindi and other Indian languages. It also coordinates with Granth Academies in the States for writing technical books in Hindi and other regional languages.
Mahatma Gandhi Antrarashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha- The Vishwavidyalaya came into existence w.e.f. 29th December, 1997 with the objective to promote and develop Hindi language and literature, to provide for active pursuit of comparative studies and research in Hindi and other Indian languages, offer programmes of research, education and training in areas like translation, interpretation and linguistic for improving the functional effectiveness of Hindi and to reach out to Hindi schools and groups interested in Hindi abroad and to associate them in teaching and to popularize Hindi through distance education system.
National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi – The Council was created as an autonomous body in 1996 to act as an important tool for implementing the policies of Government of India towards the development of Urdu language. Over the years, the Council has started various courses in Urdu and has effectively linked Urdu language with information technology by establishing 150 Centres of Computer Applications and Multi-lingual DTP in 22 States and 97 districts.
National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language, Vadodara – The Council with its headquarters at Vadodara is established as an autonomous body to promote, develop and propagate Sindhi language and to advice Government of mIndia on issues connected with Sindhi language.
Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore – The institute has been set up as a subordinate office to help in evolving and implementing language policies of the Government of India and to work towards the development of Indian languages by conducting research in the areas of language analysis, language pedagogy and language technology.
In order to reach out to the masses, the National Book Trust has a number of mobile book exhibition-cum-sale vans to go to rural areas and make available the low priced books at the door steps of book lovers in all languages.