Amit Shah Re-Elected as Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Official Language

New Delhi: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, has been unanimously re-elected as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. The reconstitution of the committee was announced today at a meeting held in New Delhi, marking a continuation of Shah’s leadership in this role since 2019.

Expressing his gratitude to the committee members for their support, Shah highlighted the progress made in promoting the official language over the past decade. He emphasized that under the current administration, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the committee has focused on integrating Hindi with local languages without creating competition. The aim has been to ensure that Hindi complements rather than conflicts with regional languages, fostering a sense of inclusivity.

Shah underlined the importance of making Hindi a language of work with broad consensus and acceptance. He praised efforts to enrich Hindi by incorporating words from various local languages, enhancing its flexibility and strengthening its relationship with other languages.

During his address, Shah outlined the department’s efforts, including the development of new software designed to translate all languages of the 8th Schedule automatically. He expressed confidence that this technological advancement would significantly boost Hindi’s acceptance and utility in administrative work.

The Home Minister stressed the need for continued progress, stating that in the last five years, the committee has delivered three substantial volumes of its report to the President, a feat unprecedented in the committee’s history. He urged the committee to maintain this momentum and set ambitious goals for the future.

Shah emphasized the dual foundations of cooperation and acceptance in advancing the use of Hindi. He envisioned a future where, by Independence Day 2047, all official work in India would be conducted proudly in Indian languages. He reiterated the commitment to revitalize Hindi and fulfill the aspirations of India’s freedom fighters, who saw the need for a unifying language across states.

The Home Minister also highlighted the importance of the new education policy, which advocates primary education in a child’s mother tongue, as a means to connect with India’s linguistic diversity. He recalled the Munshi-Iyengar Committee’s decision to establish a language commission every five years to address linguistic diversity, stressing the need to revive this initiative.

The meeting was attended by newly appointed MPs from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, as well as officials from the Department of Official Language, including Secretary Anshuli Arya. The session reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to enhancing the role of Hindi in India’s official and administrative functions.