India Launches New Initiatives to Promote Bharatiya Bhasha in Higher Education
The Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC), and Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti have introduced three new initiatives to promote Indian languages in higher education. These initiatives were launched during a workshop on ‘Writing of Textbooks in Bharatiya Bhasha for Higher Education’ held in New Delhi.
ASMITA Initiative
The Secretary of Higher Education, K. Sanjay Murthy, launched the ‘ASMITA’ initiative, which aims to create a robust ecosystem for translating and writing original books in Indian languages. The goal is to produce 1,000 books in 22 languages within five years, resulting in 22,000 books in Bharatiya Bhasha.
Bahubhasha Shabdakosh
Another initiative, ‘Bahubhasha Shabdakosh,’ was also launched. This comprehensive dictionary will serve as a single point of reference for words in all Indian languages, aiding in various domains like IT, industry, research, and education.
Real-Time Translation Architecture
The National Education Technology Forum (NETF) introduced the ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Ecosystem for Real-Time Translation Architecture.’ This initiative aims to enhance the use of technology in translation efforts.
Workshop Highlights
The workshop, inaugurated by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, brought together Vice-Chancellors from 13 nodal universities. These universities will lead the project to develop textbooks in 12 Indian languages, covering Arts, Science, and Commerce streams by June 2025.
Chairman of UGC, Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar, and Chairman of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Prof. Chamu Krishna Shastry, expressed confidence in the success of these initiatives. The workshop concluded with detailed reports and future plans for textbook development in each language.
Support and Commitment
Officials from various educational and linguistic institutions participated in a Q&A session, addressing queries from the attendees. Vice Chairman of UGC, Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, and Secretary of UGC, Prof. Manish Joshi, reiterated their commitment to supporting these initiatives.
Bharatiya Bhasha -: Bharatiya Bhasha means Indian languages. It refers to the many different languages spoken in India, like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and many others.
Ministry of Education -: The Ministry of Education is a part of the Indian government that looks after schools, colleges, and universities. They make rules and plans to help students learn better.
University Grants Commission -: The University Grants Commission, or UGC, is a group in India that helps universities get money and make sure they follow good standards for teaching.
Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti -: Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti is a committee or group that works to promote and support Indian languages. They help make sure Indian languages are used more in education and other areas.
ASMITA -: ASMITA is a new project to help translate and write books in Indian languages. This will make it easier for students to read and learn in their own language.
Bahubhasha Shabdakosh -: Bahubhasha Shabdakosh is a big dictionary that will include many Indian languages. It will help people understand words in different languages better.
real-time translation architecture -: Real-time translation architecture is a system that helps translate spoken or written words instantly from one language to another. This can help people understand each other even if they speak different languages.
Vice-Chancellors -: Vice-Chancellors are the heads of universities. They are like the principals of colleges and make important decisions for the university.