The two-day Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha Summit, which was organized as a part of the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav, on 30 September and 1 October 2023 in New Delhi, concluded today. Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Ind. Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, PP/ DOPT, Atomic Energy, and Space Dr Jitendra Singh presided over the Valedictory session Summit. Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the inaugural session of the Summit on 30 September 2023.

The aim of the Summit was to facilitate a seamless transition from the current education ecosystem to one rooted in Bharatiya languages, in line with the vision of NEP 2020 and to set the course for a technologically enriched future for Bharatiya languages in education.

Dr Jitendra Singh, while speaking at the event said that the landmark decision to introduce NEP 2020 is going to solve the problem associated with the ‘legacy’ of teaching-learning in English, and thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for its introduction. It will result in bringing optimal outcomes in the times to come, and by 2047, during the Amrit Kaal, the benefits will be fully realized, he added.

 

He also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for showcasing all the Bharatiya languages equally in national and international forums. He hoped that when writers who know the original languages start writing books on specific subjects and topics, it will benefit the readers the most.

Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri K Sanjay Murthy; Secretary, School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari; Chairperson NETF, Shri Anil Sahasrabudhe; Director, IIT Madras, Prof. V. Kamakoti, other officials of the Ministry of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, AICTE, UGC, educationists, Vice Chancellors of the universities and students were present at the Valedictory function. Prof. Sahasrabudhe presented a comprehensive report on the outcomes of the sessions and highlighted how these will be shared among all the ministries of the government. He also stressed the importance of learning in the mother tongue in order to the realization of the dream of Viksit Bharat.

The Wrap-up Note was presented by Prof. V. Kamakoti. He mentioned that no citizen will be left behind because of languages. Child education in the mother tongue and subsequently by English is the most effective mode of teaching, he added. He also elaborated on eight targets that have come up during the summit on which further research will be done. Director, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, Prof. Shailendra Mohan, presented the vote of thanks for the event.

The summit encompassed three pivotal thematic sessions: (i) Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages; (ii) Technology IN Bharatiya Languages; and (iii) Technology THROUGH Bharatiya Languages. Multiple technical sessions were held under these three themes. Industry experts, academicians, and technologists shared their insights and participated in engaging discussions with the audiences and answered their queries. These themes emphasized the integration of technology in promoting Bharatiya Bhasha, including its role in teaching, training, examination, and translating educational materials.

In the technical sessions on Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages, held on 30 September 2023, the speakers discussed ways and means to leverage technology for Bharatiya languages. Key discussions were held on agendas like Leverage Technology for Bharatiya Languages, Operating Systems and Software Localization, Search Engine Localization and more. 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. In technical sessions on Technology THROUGH Bharatiya Languages important discussions were held on skilling through Bharatiya languages and leveraging technology, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality/MVR, for immersive learning through Bharatiya languages.

An exhibition was also set up by the AICTE-Anuvadini, Central Institute of Indian Languages, NCERT, Crystal Lab, Multilingual Hub of States and more, which showcased Bharatiya Bhasha technology products and their applications by the industries, government organizations and start-ups.

The Government of India is celebrating 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.

The summit was 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.

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SS/AK

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