Garhwal Post Bureau
Srinagar (Garhwal), 15 Oct: Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU), Srinagar, in collaboration with the Central University of Uttarakhand, and the Indian Languages Committee of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, inaugurated a two-day workshop today at the Academic Activity Center on the Chauras campus. Faculty members, academic experts, and researchers from over 25 universities and colleges in Uttarakhand participated in the inaugural session.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Shri Prakash Singh, was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony. Prof. Harbhajan Singh Chauhan, Director of the Birla Campus, was the special guest. Dr. Chandan Srivastava, Academic Coordinator of the Indian Languages Committee of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, addressed the participants as the subject expert. The proceedings of the program were moderated by Prof. Narayan Dutt (full-time State Coordinator, Uttarakhand), Dr. Alka Suri (State Coordinator, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti), Dr. Rachna Vishwakarma (Academic Coordinator), Dr. Sudhanshu Bhushan (Academic Coordinator), and Dr. Alok Sagar Gautam (Coordinator) made significant contributions.
Participants of the workshop were briefed on its central theme. The primary objective of the workshop is to develop high-quality learning materials in the form of interactive digital books for school and higher education in 22 Indian languages. This initiative aims to promote multilingual education, increase students’ access to quality learning materials, and make knowledge more accessible across the country.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shri Prakash Singh, highlighted the importance of this initiative in preserving and promoting India’s rich intellectual heritage. He said, “By writing books, one can become immortal even without drinking nectar.” Describing books as our invaluable heritage, he praised the Government of India’s initiative to make educational materials available in Indian languages. He stated that this effort will expand education and ensure access to knowledge for a wider section of society.
The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the diversity of Indian knowledge traditions, their historical development, and the country’s rich intellectual heritage. Referring to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, he explained that its fifteenth chapter discusses research methodology, which demonstrates the depth and richness of knowledge contained in ancient Indian literature. He emphasized the need to translate such important texts into various Indian languages and make them widely available. Concluding his address, he said, “Bookwriting is nation-building.”
This statement underscores the crucial role of creating, preserving, and disseminating knowledge in nation-building.
Subject expert Dr. Chandan Srivastava highlighted the role of technology in promoting Indian languages, discussing the potential for developing an entire industry through the development of technology-based multilingual content. He emphasized that translating books into Indian languages should not be limited to mere word-for-word translation, but should also preserve the concepts, meaning, and spirit of the original works. He further explained that this initiative was announced in the Union Budget 2025, under which 2.5 lakh books are proposed to be developed.
Dr. Alok Sagar Gautam, coordinator of the event, welcomed all the guests. In his address, he discussed in detail the book publishing process in Uttarakhand, the authorship of books, and the potential for publishing books through the collective collaboration of various academics in the state. He also highlighted the importance of mutual coordination and collaboration in this direction.
A total of 75 participants participated in the event, including 65 faculty members and academic professionals, eight research scholars, and two students. These participants came from more than 25 universities and colleges in Uttarakhand. The broad participation of participants reflects the academic community’s interest in developing multilingual educational resources and promoting Indian languages in education.
The inaugural session laid the groundwork for meaningful discussions on the development of interactive digital books, the integration of technology with Indian languages, and the widespread dissemination of India’s rich knowledge traditions. This workshop is an important initiative towards contributing to the creation of inclusive, accessible and high-quality educational resources, as well as strengthening the role of Indian languages in the country’s education system and intellectual landscape.
The programme was conducted by Dr. Kavita Bhatt, while Dr. Alok Sagar Gautam played a key role in the coordination and smooth conduct of the programme. Other distinguished guests present on the occasion included Prof. R.S. Negi, Prof. Seema Dhawan, Prof. D.S. Negi, Prof. M.S. Negi, Prof. Surendra Singh Bisht, Prof. B.P. Naithani, along with several faculty members and educationists.
