Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently unveiled the ASMITA Project, aimed at bolstering the availability of educational resources in Indian languages.This ambitious project aims to develop 22,000 books in Indian languages over the next five years. Under the ASMITA project (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing – ASMITA), study materials in Indian languages will be augmented and preserved through translation and academic writing. The project is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which is one of the many initiatives taken by the government to promote Indian languages in India’s current education system.
ASMITA Project
- ASMITA Project is an ambitious initiative launched by the Union Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission (UGC) with the aim of promoting Indian languages in education.
- It is a joint effort launched by the UGC and Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) was established in the year 1953 to coordinate, determine and protect the standards of teaching, examination, and research in university education, which later became a statutory organization for university education in India in the year 1956.
- Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti is a grassroots committee constituted by the Ministry of Education in the year 2021 for the promotion of Indian languages.
- 13 nodal universities have been identified along with member universities from different regions to lead this project.
- The UGC has created a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the book-writing process in each specified language.
- The project aims to prepare 1,000 books in 22 Indian languages within five years, resulting in 22,000 books in Indian languages.
- In addition, the commission aims to prepare about 1,800 textbooks for the faculties of Arts, Science and Commerce by June 2025.
- The main objective of Project Asmita is to make higher education in Indian languages in India accessible and effective, so that Indian students get the opportunity to study in their mother tongue and improve the quality of education in India.
- This initiative is considered an important step towards encouraging the promotion and preservation of Indian languages under the National Education Policy 2020.
Main objective of Project Asmita in India
- The main objective of Project Asmita in India is to create a comprehensive pool of educational resources in the 22 scheduled languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, bridge the linguistic divide, promote social harmony and unity and transform the youth of the country into socially responsible global citizens.
- The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution includes the following 22 languages –
- Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri.
Importance of Asmita Project in India
- These programs in India are in line with the objectives of the NEP.
- These initiatives aim to establish a range of educational materials in various Indian languages.
- It will eliminate language barriers in India, enhance harmony and promote mutual unity and brotherhood.
- Moreover, these initiatives aim to mold the new generation of India as global citizens by aiding them in their studies and protecting the cultural heritage of the country.