In a significant stride towards enhancing educational resources in Indian languages, the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have unveiled the ‘ASMITA’ project. This ambitious initiative, which stands for Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing, aims to develop 22,000 books over the next five years. The project was announced at a launch event attended by Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of Higher Education, who underscored its potential to transform the educational landscape in India.
Key Objectives of ASMITA
ASMITA is a collaborative effort between the UGC and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, a high-powered committee established by the Ministry of Education. The primary objective is to promote and integrate Indian languages more deeply into the education system, thereby enriching the learning experience and making it more inclusive. This project is part of a broader strategy to enhance the accessibility and quality of educational materials across various Indian languages, ensuring that students have access to high-quality study materials in their native languages.
Education Minister’s Perspective
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the significance of ASMITA on social media. “Launch of three landmark initiatives — ASMITA, Bahubhasha Shabdkosh, and Real-time Translation Architecture, will give momentum to imparting learning in Bharatiya Bhashas, empowering learners in their academic pursuits and preserving and promoting India’s language traditions,” he wrote on X. He added that these initiatives, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), would help create a comprehensive pool of academic resources in 22 scheduled languages, bridge the linguistic divide, foster social cohesion and unity, and transform the country’s youth into socially responsible global citizens.
UGC Chairman’s Insights
UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar emphasized the project’s goal of creating a robust ecosystem for translation and original book writing in Indian languages across various disciplines within higher education. “The goal is to produce 1,000 books in 22 languages within five years, resulting in 22,000 books in Bharatiya bhasha,” Kumar said, as per news agency PTI. Thirteen nodal universities have been identified to lead the project, along with member universities from various regions.
Kumar also detailed the standard operating procedure (SOP) developed by the UGC for the book-writing process in each assigned language. “The SOP includes the identification of nodal officers, authors, allocation of title, subject and programme, writing and editing, submission of the manuscript, review and plagiarism check, finalisation, designing, proofreading and e-publication,” he explained.
Launch of ‘Bahubhasha Shabdakosh’
In addition to ASMITA, the Ministry of Education also launched the ‘Bahubhasha Shabdakosh’, a comprehensive dictionary of words in all Indian languages and their meanings. This initiative, developed by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in collaboration with the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, aims to facilitate the use of Bharatiya words, phrases, and sentences in various modern domains such as IT, industry, research, and education. The UGC stated, “This Shabdakosh will help in using Bharatiya words, phrases and sentences for various new-age domains like IT, industry, research, and education.”
The ASMITA project and associated initiatives mark a significant milestone in promoting linguistic diversity and inclusivity in Indian education, fostering a more comprehensive and accessible learning environment for students across the country.
