India's Push for Academic Excellence: ASMITA to Create 22,000 Books in Indian Languages

The Ministry of Education and UGC launched the ASMITA project to produce 22,000 books in Indian languages over five years. The initiative aims to bridge linguistic gaps, promote Indian languages in higher education, and foster social cohesion. The project aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) and involves 13 nodal universities.

The Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) unveiled an ambitious project on Tuesday aimed at commissioning 22,000 books in Indian languages over the next five years.

Named ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing), the project was introduced by Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of Higher Education. A joint venture involving the UGC and Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, a committee under the ministry, ASMITA seeks to promote Indian languages in the educational landscape.

'The launch of three groundbreaking initiatives -- ASMITA, Bahubhasha Shabdkosh, and Real-time Translation Architecture -- will accelerate learning in Indian languages, empower academic pursuits, and preserve India's linguistic heritage,' stated Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on X. 'These initiatives will help amass academic resources in 22 scheduled languages, fostering unity and turning our youth into socially-responsible global citizens.'

UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar emphasized that the project aims to create a robust ecosystem for translating and writing original academic books in Indian languages. 'The goal is to complete 1,000 books in 22 languages annually, aiming for a total of 22,000 books within five years,' Kumar explained.

Thirteen nodal universities, along with member universities from various regions, will spearhead the project. The UGC has also established a standard operating procedure (SOP) outlining the entire book-writing process, including nodal officer identification, author allocation, writing, editing, submission, and publication stages.

In addition, the ministry launched 'Bahubhasha Shabdakosh,' a comprehensive lexicon that includes words and meanings from all Indian languages. Developed by the Central Institute of Indian Languages in collaboration with the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, this initiative aims to facilitate the use of Indian languages in modern sectors like IT, industry, and research.

(With inputs from agencies.)