Launch of Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav
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Technology and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit.
The Bharatiya Bhasha Summit, held on September 30 and October 1, 2023, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, served as a pivotal platform for discussions on the integration of technology in various aspects of Bharatiya languages. This event was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), in collaboration with key educational and technological bodies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti (BBS), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The summit aimed to align with the goals of the National Education Policy-2020 and focus on leveraging technology to promote the use of Bharatiya languages across different educational domains.
The inaugural session of the summit was graced by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. In his address, he emphasized the unique connection between culture, language, and civilization in our country. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places significant importance on all Indian languages, granting students the opportunity to study in their own language. He also highlighted India’s rich history of technological innovation, citing examples such as the Meenakshi Temple and Brihadeeshwar Temple, constructed using advanced technology long before architectural engineering emerged.
Key Highlights: The summit offered a dynamic and enriching experience, encompassing presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities. It drew over 2,000 delegates from various parts of the country, including technical experts, institutions engaged in technology in Bharatiya languages, AI and ML researchers, educational technology companies, startups, end-users, and policymakers.
The Department of Languages at Swami Vivekananda Subharti University, Meerut, was well-represented at the two-day summit by Dr. Seema Sharma, an Associate Professor of Hindi, and Dr. Shobha Raturi, an Assistant Professor of Hindi. Accompanying them were Ms. Shalini, a research Scholar specializing in Hindi, and Ms. Prachi Singh, a research Scholar specializing in English. Together, they actively engaged in the discussions and activities throughout the program, sharing their expertise and insights, and contributing significantly to the vital conversation about the integration of technology in Indian languages.
Advantages of Bharatiya Bhasha Summit: The Technology and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit offers several advantages, including:
Linguistic Empowerment: By integrating technology with Bharatiya Bhasha, this program empowers individuals to communicate, learn, and access information in their native languages, preserving and promoting linguistic diversity.
Enhanced Education: The program improves language education through technology, making learning materials more accessible and interactive, ultimately enhancing the quality of education in Bharatiya languages.
Efficient Translation: The development of advanced translation tools streamlines the process of translating content into and from Bharatiya Bhasha, facilitating cross-cultural communication and knowledge sharing.
Technological Innovation: The summit encourages the development of Bharatiya Bhasha operating systems, coding, and web standards, contributing to technological advancements in the Indian context and fostering innovation.
Cultural Preservation: By promoting the use of Bharatiya languages in technology and education, the program helps preserve and celebrate India’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage, ensuring that traditional languages remain relevant in a modern technological world.
The objectives of the Technology and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit are:
Promote the Integration of Technology: To encourage the effective use of technology in various aspects of Bharatiya Bhasha, including education, research, and communication.
Enhance Language Education: To improve the teaching and learning of Bharatiya languages through the application of technology, both in online and offline modes.
Strengthen Language Testing and Proficiency Assessment: To develop and implement innovative methods and tools for assessing language proficiency in Bharatiya languages, ensuring a high standard of testing.
Facilitate Translation and Language Accessibility: To advance the field of translation technology, making it easier to translate content to and from Bharatiya languages, and to improve access to information and resources in these languages.
Cultivate a Multilingual Technological Landscape: To promote the use of Bharatiya Bhasha in technology, including the development of Bharatiya language operating systems, coding, web standards, and mobile apps, ensuring their integration into various aspects of technology.
These objectives collectively aim to empower and enrich Bharatiya languages and promote their integration into the modern technological landscape, contributing to a brighter linguistic future for India.
Theme of the Summit:
- Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages
- Technology IN Bharatiya Languages
- Technology THROUGH Bharatiya Languages
Bhasha Summit on October 1, 2023, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The second session of Day 2 was chaired by Prof V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, and featured a panel of experts, including Dr Sunil Kumar Kopparapu of TCS Research, Smt Kirti Seth, CEO of SSC Nasscom, and Mr Balendu Sharma Dadhich, Director of Local Language and Accessibility at Microsoft.
During this session, these experts explored topics related to generative AI in Bharatiya languages, handwriting recognition for Bharatiya scripts, voice-to-text conversion for Bharatiya languages, gesture-based inputs, and language translation.
The summit revolved around three main areas concerning language and technology:
Technology FOR Bharatiya Languages: The first day focused on discussions about how technology can facilitate teaching, testing, training, and translation in Bharatiya languages. Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of School Education and Learning at the Ministry of Education, led the first session, expertly moderated by Prof. Pushpak Bhattacharya of IIT Bombay, and featured valuable contributions from Dr. Ningmeukapam Kishorjit Singh of IIT Manipur and Ms. Natasha Jog, Head of Public Policy at Meta. Discussions covered various aspects, including online and offline modes for teaching Bharatiya languages, language learning materials, pedagogical methods, language proficiency assessment, and training of language teachers and examiners using technology. The focus was on enhancing teaching and learning, testing proficiency, and training teachers using technology.
Technology IN Bharatiya Languages: On the second day, experts discussed the development of hardware and software tools in Bharatiya languages, Bharatiya language operating systems, coding in Bharatiya languages, web standardization, and the advancement of technology in Bharatiya languages. Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of UGC, chaired the first session, with expert contributions from Dr. Vinita Aggarwal (Executive Member, NCVET), Shri Amithabh Nag (CEO, Bhashini), and Ms. Bank Paintal Dhawan (Head of Education, Google Cloud India). The discussions emphasized the need for revolutionary developments in creating hardware and software tools in Bharatiya languages, including the development of Bharatiya Operating Systems (OS) and Machine Learning (ML) in Bharatiya Languages, coding in Bharatiya Languages, and standards for technological use of Bharatiya Languages. They also discussed the development of mobile apps, AR-based platforms, and the integration of Bharatiya Languages into technology.
The Bharatiya Bhasha Summit brought together a wide array of stakeholders to promote the integration of technology in the advancement of Bharatiya languages. It served as a platform for meaningful discussions and collaborative efforts to enhance the role of technology in language education and technological development in Bharatiya languages.
Technology THROUGH Bharatiya Languages:
This theme focused on the implementation of technical education, content development, resource availability, skill courses, and guidelines for print and social media in Bharatiya languages.
The expert panel for this session was chaired by Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of MSDE, and included experts such as Dr Madan Mohan Tripathi, Director General of NIELIT, Smt Garima Babbar, Head of Adobe Asia Pacific, and Prof Girish Nath Jha, Chairman of CSTT.
In accordance with the vision outlined in NEP 2020, the key areas of emphasis included the delivery of technical education in Bharatiya Languages, the development of content and methodologies, resource provision, assessment and evaluation, offering skill courses alongside technical education in schools, vocational education institutions, universities, and professional educational institutions, as well as the establishment of guidelines and standards for the use of Bharatiya Languages in print and social media.
The summit culminated in the drawing up of a roadmap for the development and utilisation of technology FOR, IN, and THROUGH Bharatiya languages. This document reflects the collective wisdom and vision of the academia, industry leaders, linguists and policymakers.
In conclusion, the Technology and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit 2023 provided a significant platform for promoting the use of technology to enrich and empower Bharatiya languages across the education landscape. With the support of governmental bodies and key stakeholders, the summit laid the foundation for a brighter linguistic future for India.
Academia, industry leaders, language experts, linguists, state governments, and policymakers from across the country came together during this two-day summit, marking it as a crucial step towards the integration of technology and Bharatiya languages in education and beyond. There were also the Tech Tool Stalls from various institutions and organisations where the latest techno tools for translation, learning, and understanding were displayed.
The valedictory session of the event featured Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Government of India, as he delivered a thought-provoking address. Singh emphasized the importance of embracing Indian languages in education and science, highlighting that this is not merely a choice but a necessity. He commended Prime Minister Modi’s unwavering commitment to promoting our mother tongues at various levels and urged the elimination of translation barriers. Singh envisioned a vibrant linguistic celebration in 2047 that would elevate our heritage to unparalleled heights.
Mr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, the Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), noted that the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha Summit marked a significant milestone in their efforts to provide students with a strong linguistic foundation through cutting-edge technology. He emphasized that collaborative initiatives like this are essential for shaping a multilingual and technologically advanced educational landscape.
Buddha Chandrasekhar, Chief Coordination Officer at AICTE, introduced “Anuvadini,” a Global voice, video, and document AI translation tool developed by AICTE. Anuvadini, powered by Generative AI, offers various advantages, including translating source text files and speech-to-text typing. He expressed their collective aim, alongside distinguished experts, to chart a course for the next five years, driving innovation in language technology across schools, higher education, skill development, and industry sectors.
The technical sessions during the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit were designed to be insightful and diverse, focusing on the integration of technology with Indian languages. The inaugural session on the first day featured distinguished guests and dignitaries, including Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship. Keynote addresses by Sridhar Vembu, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IITDM Kanchipuram, set the stage for the discussions.
Eminent experts, such as Professor Pushpak Bhattacharyya from IIT Bombay, Nongmeikapam Kishorjit Singh from IIIT Manipur, and Natasha Jog from Meta, led panel discussions. These sessions aimed to establish a robust foundation for the integration of technology in language education. Subsequent days delved deeper into topics ranging from translation accuracy and machine learning to the localization of operating systems and digital content platforms, showcasing a comprehensive approach to technological empowerment within the realm of Indian languages.
The summit featured a diverse array of distinguished speakers and experts who deliberated on critical subjects, including leveraging technology for teaching and learning Bharatiya languages, machine learning applications in translation accuracy, and the development of Indic keyboards, among other relevant topics.
Representatives from various sectors, including education, technology, and governmental bodies, came together to share valuable insights and strategies for the next five years, with the shared goal of promoting the integration of technology in the advancement of Bharatiya languages.