By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and inaugurated the two-day Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha Summit on Saturday at New Delhi.
The summit aims to facilitate a seamless transition from the current education ecosystem to one rooted in Bharatiya languages, in line with the NEP-2020 vision and to set the course for a technologically enriched future for Bharatiya languages in education.
An exhibition was also set up to showcase Bharatiya Bhasha technology products, and their applications by the industries, government organizations and start-ups. An inspiring moment was the presentation of a significant book by various officials to dignitaries, symbolizing the rich literary heritage of Bharatiya languages.Students of Kendriya Vidyalaya shared their experiences in 22 different languages.
While addressing the summit Shri Pradhan mentioned, that India, being one of the oldest civilizations in the world has an extremely close and inseparable relationship with technology. Scholars from across the globe have come for centuries to understand the Indian knowledge, he added. He emphasized that the fusion of Indian languages and technology will open doors to limitless possibilities for the talent pool of the country.
He also mentioned that through technology, contextualization of the Indian knowledge System will be possible. He hoped that the discussions to be held during the summit on language for technology, language in technology, and language through technology would create a strong ecosystem for Indian languages. He mentioned the significant contributions of Indian resources in the global medical sector. He also highlighted that one-third of the world’s coders are of Indian origin, which is a testament to the nation’s prowess in technology and innovation.
Shri Sanjay Kumar, while speaking to the audience, referred to the discussions held at the Sankalp Saptaah by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that with the right kind of Policies (Niti) and leadership (Netritya) any goals can be achieved. He mentioned how NEP2020 has formally included Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for the first time. Refinement of thought comes from the development of language, and NEP 2020 has recognised it and included it in its policies that must be taken to the students, he added. He urged everyone, especially the students, to use technologies, such as regenerative AI, to surpass the language barriers.
Shri Sridhar Vembu delivered the keynote address in which he emphasized the importance of learning languages in order to master skills such as developing computer codes that need an understanding of structures.
The summit, organized as part of the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav, encompasses three pivotal thematic sessions: (i) Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages; (ii) Technology IN Bharatiya Languages; and (iii) Technology THROUGH Bharatiya Languages. Today, two technical sessions will be held under the theme of Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages. In these sessions, speakers and experts discussed ways and means to leverage technology for Bharatiya languages. The role of technology in the teaching-learning process of Bharatiya languages, the use of Machine Learning, Language modelling for speech recognition, Unicode standardization for Bharatiya language scripts, and other important aspects were also discussed in detail during these sessions. Both sessions were followed up with intense discussions among the audience and the speakers.
These themes will emphasize the integration of technology in promoting Bharatiya Bhasha, including its role in teaching, training, examination, and translating educational materials. The summit aims to facilitate a seamless transition from the current education ecosystem to one rooted in Bharatiya Languages, in line with the vision of NEP-2020.
During the summit, key discussions will be held on agendas like “Leverage Technology for Bharatiya Languages”, “Operating Systems and Software Localization”, “Search Engine Localization” and more. A comprehensive roadmap for realizing the vision of education in Bharatiya Languages will be charted, with active participation from stakeholders across various sectors, including academia, students, research scholars, edutech and infotech industry professionals, technical experts, media representatives, and freelancers.
The Government of India has proposed to celebrate the birthday of renowned Tamil poet and freedom fighter Mahakavi Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati as Bharatiya Bhasha Divas (11 December). The Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav, which started on 28th September 2023 will run for 75 days and will culminate on 11th December 2023. During this, various events related to Bharatiya languages will be held in schools and higher education institutions.
Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri K Sanjay Murthy; Secretary, School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Secretary, Shri Sridhar Vembu, Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIIT-DM, Kanchipuram and CEO of Zoho Corporation; Chairman, AICTE, Prof. T.G. Sitharam; Chairman, Bhartiya Bhasha Samiti, Shri Chamu Krishna Shastri; Chairman, UGC, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar; Chairperson NETF, Shri Anil Sahasrabudhe; Director, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Prof. Shailendra Mohan; Chairperson, National Council for Vocational Education & Training, Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi; Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Sh. Anil Kumar Jha; eminent dignitaries, educationists, technology and language experts, and officials of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, NCERT, UGC, AICTE, Central Institute of Indian Languages, CBSC, KVS, NVS, etc. were present at the event.
The summit is jointly organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and their constituent institutions, such as the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), University Grants Commission (UGC), National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Centre for Vocational & Technical Education (NCVTE), National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti (BBS), and others.
With active participation from stakeholders across various sectors, including academia, students, research scholars, edutech and infotech industry professionals, technical experts, media representatives, and freelancers, a comprehensive roadmap for realizing the vision of education in Bharatiya Languages will be charted during the two-day Summit.
