Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, today attended the grand closing ceremony of 1008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs in New Delhi as the Chief Guest. The event was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta.

In his address at the event, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation praised Sanskrit Bharati for its remarkable and courageous initiative in organizing 1008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs. He noted that the decline of Sanskrit began even before the era of colonial rule, and its revival will require time and sustained effort. He emphasized that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a favorable atmosphere has emerged across the country for the resurgence of Sanskrit. He added that the government, the public, and the collective mindset are all firmly dedicated and committed to the revival and promotion of Sanskrit.

Shri Amit Shah said that since 1981, Sanskrit Bharati has been working to present the vast knowledge available in Sanskrit to the world and to train and enable millions of people to speak and learn Sanskrit. He highlighted that many renowned global scholars have acknowledged Sanskrit as the most scientific language. Emphasizing a forward-looking approach, he said that rather than dwelling on the history of Sanskrit's decline, efforts should now focus on its resurgence. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has launched various initiatives to promote Sanskrit. He mentioned that around 18 projects have been implemented under the Ashtadashi scheme, and the Government of India provides financial support for the publication, bulk purchase, and reprinting of rare Sanskrit texts. Moreover, the honorarium for distinguished Sanskrit scholars has been increased.

Union Home Minister highlighted that the Modi government's new National Education Policy (NEP) places strong emphasis on the Indian Knowledge System, with Sanskrit as its core pillar. He noted that the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan has been elevated to the status of a Central Sanskrit University. He also mentioned that under the Sahasra Chudamani Yojana, the government has facilitated the appointment of retired eminent Sanskrit scholars as educators. Shri Shah emphasized that one of the most significant initiatives of the Modi government is a nationwide campaign with a budget of approximately Rs 500 crore aimed at collecting scattered manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission with a foundational corpus of Rs 500 crore dedicated to manuscript preservation, with allocations planned in every budget going forward. He further informed that over 52 lakh manuscripts have already been documented, around 3.5 lakh digitized, and 1,37,000 made available online at namami.gov.in. To support this massive effort, a team comprising scholars from various disciplines and languages has been constituted to translate and preserve these rare manuscripts.

Shri Amit Shah said that the work undertaken by Sanskrit Bharati since 1981 is truly unparalleled. He emphasized that the solutions to many of the world’s challenges can be found through the revival, propagation, and simplification of the profound knowledge contained in Sanskrit. He highlighted that since its inception, Sanskrit Bharati has introduced over one crore people to spoken Sanskrit, trained more than one lakh Sanskrit teachers, and nurtured 6,000 families who converse exclusively in Sanskrit. Shri Shah noted that Sanskrit Bharati has established 4,500 centers across 26 countries and, in 2011, organized the world’s first World Sanskrit Book Fair. It also hosted the Sahitya Utsav in Ujjain in 2013. He stated that these efforts have significantly increased public interest in Sanskrit and its acceptance is steadily growing. The Home Minister affirmed that while there is no opposition to any language, no one can be distanced from their mother tongue — and Sanskrit is the mother of nearly all Indian languages. He concluded by saying that as Sanskrit becomes richer and stronger, it will, in turn, empower every language and dialect across the country.

Union Home Minister said that 1008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs have concluded here today.  He shared that, through these Shivirs (camps), over 17,000 participants were introduced to Sanskrit over a 10-day period starting from April 23. During this time, they also engaged in spoken Sanskrit practice, which will help foster greater interest and enthusiasm for the language among the public.

Shri Amit Shah said that Sanskrit represents India’s faith, tradition, truth, and timeless essence. He emphasized that the light of knowledge and wisdom is deeply embedded in the Sanskrit language. As the mother of most Indian languages, Sanskrit’s promotion is not just about its revival, but also about advancing the nation's overall progress. He noted that for thousands of years, the churning of ideas across various disciplines has produced a wealth of knowledge preserved in Sanskrit. He said that this vast treasure spans every field and should be made accessible to the entire world. Shri Shah stressed that the profound wisdom contained in the Vedas, Upanishads, and countless Sanskrit manuscripts must reach a global audience. He added that the ongoing efforts by Sanskrit Bharati are a significant first step toward achieving this goal.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Sanskrit is not only the most scientific language in the world, but also possesses an unparalleled grammatical structure. He noted that Sanskrit was the first language to refine the use of meter and syllables, which has contributed to its continued vitality and relevance even today.

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