Agartala is set to host a landmark event as Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah arrives on Friday to preside over the Joint Regional Official Language Conference. This significant gathering brings together officials from India’s eastern, northeastern, and northern regions, marking the first such event in Tripura.
Over 3,000 senior officials, representatives, and experts from central government offices, public sector companies, and banks across nearly 20 states will converge for this conference. Anshuli Arya, Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Official Language Department, highlighted the scale of participation, emphasizing its role in promoting Hindi as the official language.
A major highlight will be the presentation of 80 Regional Official Language Awards for 2024-25 to outstanding central government offices, banks, and companies excelling in implementing official language policies. Additionally, City Official Language Implementation Committees will receive the ‘NRAKAS Encouragement Awards’ for their contributions.
Selections for these honors are based on quarterly progress reports submitted through the Official Information Management System, ensuring transparency and merit-based recognition. The inaugural session on Friday will also feature the release of a special Northeastern edition of ‘Rajbhasha Bharati,’ alongside other publications.
Participants will benefit from guided sessions on simple yoga asanas, pranayama, and stress management exercises led by experienced trainers, blending professional discourse with wellness practices. States represented include West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand from the east; Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim from the northeast; and northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Arya underscored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and modern technology in addressing language-related challenges. She praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their commitment to simple, accessible Hindi in public communication, noting Shah’s practice of using regional official languages in official correspondence.
The central government continues to champion Hindi alongside 22 other scheduled Indian languages, strengthening cultural roots without imposing any language. ‘There’s no question of thrusting a major language like Hindi on local or other Indian languages,’ Arya affirmed, reinforcing a balanced approach to linguistic diversity.