The closing ceremony of ‘Hindi Month 2026’ was organised at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur on Wednesday. The ceremony featured discussions on the contemporary role of the Hindi language and literature and marked the conclusion of various Hindi-related activities and competitions organised throughout the month. Winners and participants of various competitions were felicitated, and the institute’s annual Hindi magazine, ‘Jalashm’, was unveiled.

The ceremony was presided over by IIM Kashipur Director Prof. Neeraj Dwivedi. Prof. Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Vice-Chancellor of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, attended as the Chief Guest, while educationist and author Prof. Rameshwar Rai was the Guest of Honour. During the programme, Prof. Rameshwar Rai delivered a special lecture on ‘The Role of Hindi Literature and Language in Contemporary Contexts’.

During the ceremony, winners of competitions organised as part of Hindi Month were presented prizes and certificates. As per the available results, Manish Kumar Sharma secured first position in the essay writing competition. Sharad Kumar Srivastava stood first in letter writing, Saurabh Pathak in poetry writing, and Shubham Kumar in the online general knowledge competition. Participants in other categories were also felicitated for their achievements. The results of the extempore speech competition held earlier were also announced during the closing ceremony.

Chief Guest Prof. Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, in his address, linked language with an individual’s identity and emphasised the importance of the mother tongue. He said, “A person’s fundamental thoughts and dreams naturally take shape in their own language.” He drew attention to the declining use of Hindi in daily life and highlighted the need for conscious efforts to preserve the language. He also mentioned the achievements of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, including its position in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) rankings and initiatives related to community radio.

Guest of Honour Prof. Rameshwar Rai, in his special lecture, discussed the historical position of Indian education and languages. Referring to colonial education policies that began in 1835, he said that these policies pushed indigenous education systems and languages into the background while giving prominence to English. According to him, the impact extended beyond language to the cultural structure of society. He linked the long-term influence of the colonial system with continued cultural dependence.

Discussing the contemporary position of Hindi, Prof. Rai said that Hindi remains strong as a language of the market and entertainment, but its capacity as a language of deeper knowledge and philosophical thought is weakening. He also linked the language question with broader contemporary challenges. According to him, issues such as the uncontrolled expansion of artificial intelligence, religious conflicts and environmental degradation are not merely technological or political questions, but also involve questions of human self-awareness and connection with cultural roots. He emphasised the need for introspection and reconnecting with one’s cultural roots.

In his presidential address, Prof. Neeraj Dwivedi emphasised the practical and institutional use of Hindi. He said that modern artificial intelligence and translation technologies are continuously reducing barriers between languages, making the use of Hindi in professional work more practical than before. He advocated using Hindi with a natural sense of belonging and pride rather than adopting it merely as an obligation. On the occasion, he called upon members of the institute to increase the use of Hindi in official correspondence and day-to-day administrative work.

The annual Hindi magazine of IIM Kashipur, ‘Jalashm’, was also unveiled during the ceremony. According to the available material, Atul Kumar Srivastava contributed to suggesting the name of the magazine. The magazine was unveiled as part of the concluding activities of Hindi Month and was one of the highlights of the ceremony.

The activities organised during Hindi Month for school students and other participants provided a platform for writing, public speaking and expression in Hindi. Earlier, 27 students from 16 schools had participated in the extempore speech competition, the results of which were announced during the closing ceremony.

With the closing ceremony, the month-long activities organised under Hindi Month 2026 at IIM Kashipur formally concluded. The programme emphasised the need to use Hindi not merely as a formal language, but more effectively in daily communication, knowledge, writing and professional work.

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