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.
