 CHAPTER VIII
LANGUAGES AND BOOK PROMOTION

A. DEVELOPMENT OF HINDI

8.01. Under Article 351 of the Constitution, the Union Government are responsible for the promotion and development of Hindi so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India. To carry out these responsibilities, the Ministry of Education has undertaken several promotional and development schemes.

8.02. Appointment of Hindi Teachers:

The scheme provides for giving 100 per cent financial assistance to the Governments of non-Hindi speaking States for the appointment of Hindi teachers in schools. During the Third Plan the entire expenditure on the appointment of Hindi teachers in primary and secondary schools of these States was met by the Centre. But from 1966-67, the Central assistance has been restricted to fresh appointments only. During 1968-69, the number of additional Hindi teachers likely to be appointed is 1000.

8.03. Hindi Teacher-Training Colleges In Non-Hindi Speaking States:

To enable the Governments of non-Hindi speaking States to have an adequate number of trained Hindi teachers, financial assistance is given to them, on a 100 per cent basis, for the establishment of training colleges for Hindi teachers. Central assistance is available for five years from the date a college is established. By the end of the Third Plan, 10 such colleges had been set up: two in Andhra Pradesh, one each in Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and West Bengal and three in Mysore. Financial assistance was also given to Maharashtra for starting short-term training centres for Hindi teachers. In

1967-68, an additional college was sanctioned for Kerala, and one college has also been sanctioned for Assam which is likely to start functioning during the current financial year. Besides, the Nagaland Government has been given financial assistance for starting an inservice training course for Hindi teachers.

8.04. Kendriya Hindi Shikshana Mandal, Agra:

The Kendriya Hindi Shikshana Mandal, Agra, was set up in 1960 with the principal object of training Hindi teachers for non-Hindi speaking States. The institution is now offering two training courses of one year's duration-Hindi Shikshan Parangat equivalent to B.Ed. and Hindi Shikshan Nishnat equivalent to M.Ed. A reoriented Paraugat course of two years' duration was also started from 1967-68. During the current session (1968-69), 149 candidates are receiving training. The trainees are given free tuition, free hostel facilities and stipends. The institution is conducting research in vocabulary content of various courses and techniques of teaching Hindi with special reference to the requirements of non-Hindi speaking States. Besides, refresher courses for Hindi teachers and teachers of Hindi teachers' training colleges of non-Hindi speaking States are also conducted.

8.05. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations:

Under this scheme, financial assistance is rendered to voluntary organisations for propagation of Hindi in non-Hindi Speaking States, through such programmes as the conduct of Hindi teaching classes, training and appointment of Hindi 'Pracharaks', setting up of Hindi libraries and reading rooms, award of prizes for brilliancy in essay and elocution contests in Hindi, seminars and refresher courses for Hindi teachers, etc. The quantum of assistance admissible under the scheme is 75 per cent of the expenditure., on approved activities.

8.06. A special ad hoc grant of Rs. 1.61 lakhs has been sanctioned for Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras, for running 200 single teacher Hindi Vidyalayas in Tamil Nadu to teach Hindi to those who wish to learn the language voluntarily.

8.07. Hindi Shiksha Samiti:

The Hindi Shiksha Samiti advises Government on matters relating to the propagation and development of Hindi. To keep a proper watch over the programmes for the development and propagation of Hindi and to follow up systematically the implementation of various schemes, a Karya Karini Upsamiti consisting of 15 member's has been set up in place of the three Standing Committees of the Hindi Shiksha Samiti. To review the existing Hindi propagation and development schemes and to draw up a more intensive and comprehensive programme for accelerating the pace and development of Hindi, a Review and Implementation Committee has also been set up in the Ministry. It has held two meetings so far.

8.08. Hindi Encyclopaedia:

The work of preparing and publishing a Hindi Encyclopaedia was entrusted to Nagari Pracharini Sabha, Varanasi, during 1956. Up to the end of December 1968, ten volumes have been brought out and the remaining two volumes are expected to be published by the end of July 1969.

8.09. Award of Prizes to Hindi Writers of Non-Hindi Speaking States:

To encourage Hindi writers of non-Hindi speaking States the Ministry awards prizes for their literary works in Hindi. On the recommendation of the Hindi Shiksha Samiti, the scheme has been revised to provide for the award of 13 first prizes of the value of Rs. 1,000 each and 13 second prizes of the value of Rs. 500 each. At least one prize under both the above categories is reserved for the authors belonging to each of the thirteen languages, viz., Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Telugu, Tamil, and Urdu.

8.10. The Ministry also awards every year a President's Prize of Rs. 500 for the best article in Hindi on technical subjects published in the Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India), Calcutta.

B. CENTRAL HINDI DIRECTORATE

8.11. The Central Hindi Directorate is responsible for the translation of official manuals, codes, forms and other nonstatutory procedural literature of the various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. It also undertakes various programmes for the development and propagation of Hindi. The principal activities of the Directorate during 1968-69 are briefly described in the paras that follow.

8.12. Translation of Codes, Forms, Manuals, etc.:

During 1968-69, 33 manuals and 1,470 forms were received for translation and 4 manuals and 330 forms for vetting. During this period, 307 manuals and 1279 forms were translated and 4 manuals and 169 forms were vetted. The Directorate has also been entrusted with the translation of audit report, financial accounts etc. of the Accountant General of the five Hindi-speaking States.

8.13. Correspondence Course in Hindi:

The Directorate is conducting a correspondence course for teaching Hindi to non-Hindi speaking Indians and foreigners.The first preliminary course, which is of two years' duration, was started from March 1968. About 1000 students from India and abroad have joined the course. A special course for Central Government employees has also been started from January 1969. About 500 candidates have so far applied for admission to the course.

8.14. Primers and Readers :

The Directorate has undertaken preparation of bilingual self-taught books on the pattern of 'learn the language through picture series'. So far four bilingual self- taught books have been taken in hand: Hindi-Tamil; Hindi-Telugu; Hindi-Kannada; and Hindi-Malayalam. The Hindi-Tamil self-taught book has since been published. A Hindi Primer for foreigners is also being brought out.

8.15. Linguaphone Records, Tapes etc. :

The scheme of linguaphone records and tapes for teaching Hindi to non-Hindi

speaking people and foreigners is proposed to be undertaken by the Directorate during the fourth Plan.

8.16. Compilation of Dictionaries :

On the recommendation of the Hindi Shiksha Samiti and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, it is proposed to prepare trilingual dictionaries (Hindi-Regional language- English and Regional language-Hindi-English) in the fourth Plan. A dictionary of Hindi usage and revised and enlarged edition of the English-Hindi dictionary of common words and bilingual glossary of words common to Hindi and other languages will also be brought out.

8.17. Bharatiya Vastu Shastra:

To provide supplementary material for those appearing in various Hindi examinations and to facilitate availability of literary writings in modem Indian languages into Hindi, the Directorate has undertaken the application of (i) short history of Indian literature, and (ii) collection of short stories in each of the fifteen Indian languages translated into Hindi and transliterated into Devanagari.

8.18. Publication of Popular Books in Hindi in Collaboration with the Printers :

The scheme was started in 1963. During 1968- 69, sixty books have been published and another sixteen are expected to be published by the end of the year. During 1969-70, about 32 books are proposed to be published.

8.19. Free Distribution of Hindi Books to School, College and Public Libraries:

Under the scheme, Hindi books of the value of Rs. 1 lakh are purchased and supplied to school. college and public libraries in non-Hindi speaking States.

8.20. Devanagari Script Reform :

The Devanagari script has been standardised and modified by introducing special symbols and diacritical marks for expressing peculiar sound of regional languages for which no symbols existed in Devanagari. A committee of experts has been constituted to finalise symbols and diacritical marks for expressing in Devanagari the peculiar sounds of tribal languages, dialects and other minor Indian languages.

8.21. Magazines and Journals:

The Directorate is bringing out a "Bhasha Quarterly" devoted to the problems of language and literature and a monthly news journal (Hindi Samachar Jagat) to disseminate information relating to progressive use of Hindi for official purposes as well as the progress made in regard to the propagation, development and enrichment of Hindi language. The Directorate has also been entrusted with the publication of Unesco Courier in Hindi since July 1967. This work is being done on behalf of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Unesco.

8.22. Hindi Information Centre:

A Hindi Information Centre has been set up since 1966 for providing authentic information pertaining to various aspects of Hindi language and literature. A telephone service to provide promptly Hindi equivalents of technical terms to the general public and Government offices was started with effect from October, 1968. The service is getting popular.

8.23. Regional Offices :

Two Regional Offices of the Directorate, set up at Calcutta and Madras in January, 1962, continue to function as liaison offices between the Ministry of Education and voluntary Hindi organisations within their jurisdiction A proposal for setting up two more Regional Offices in the northern and western regions is under consideration.

8.24. For the expansion of the programmes of the Central Hindi Directorate, a provision of Rs. 50 lakh has been made in the Fourth Plan.

C. COMMISSION FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY

8.25. Terminology:

The work of evolving terminology progressed satisfactorily. In all, about 50,000 terms pertaining to the field of science, humanities and the various Ministries and Departments were evolved/reviewed/coordinated. The terminology evolved was finalised by experts drawn from all parts

of the country. During the period under review, 19 meetings of expert advisory committees and 27 seminars were held. The total number of terms finalised so far is 2,50,000. Of the finalised terms, about 2,00,000 terms have been printed and published by the Commission in its glossaries : Engineering (I-III); Humanities (I-IV); Medical Sciences (English-Hindi); Medical Sciences Glossary II (English-Hindi Roman); Agriculture (I); Science Glossary (I-IV); Glossary of Designational Terms; Administration Glossary; and Consolidated Glossary of Administrative Terms.

8.26. Adoption/Adaptation of National Terminology in the Other Indian Languages:

The question of adoption/adaptation of the national terminology in the various regional languages with suitable modifications according to the grammer and genius of the language concerned has been engaging the attention of the Commission for some time past. To ascertain the views of the State Governments in the matter, a conference of State officers ill charge of development of Indian language was held on 9th September, 1968. Consensus of opinion of States on the modus operandi for the work was obtained.

8.27. Production and Publication of Standard Works in Hindi and Indian Languages :

With the objective of providing standard books in Hindi and regional languages by translating foreign books or by getting books originally written and to propagate and publicise the terminology evolved by the Ministry of Education and thus to facilitate the changeover of the media of instruction in Indian universities, the Commission has been implementing two schemes, viz., (i) translation and publication of standard works of university level into Hindi and regional languages; and (ii) preparation, translation and publication of standard works of university level in Hindi in collaboration with the publishers.

8.28. The first scheme originally drawn in 1959 for books in Hindi was later extended to regional languages and is being implemented through 46 translating agencies opened in uni-

versities/academic bodies in the various States, 5 full-time, book production cells (where scholars have been employed on a full-time basis to translate/write books), individual assignments and staff of the Commission. After two years of preparatory work, the scheme is working in full swing. So far 2,100 titles have been selected for translation and original writing, out of which translation rights for 432 titles have been obtained. 85 Hindi translations and 17 Hindi originals have already been published. In the regional languages, 19 translations and 6 original works have been published.

8.29. Under the second scheme, books are proposed by commercial publishers. After the proposals are approved, publishers get books translated and published. The Commission fixes their sale price and purchases one-third of the copies of each publication at 25 per cent discount. So far 43 titles have been approved and 13 have been published.

8.30. To coordinate the production of Hindi books of Uni- versity level, a Conference of the Vice-Chancellors of Universities and the State Education Secretaries of the Hindispeaking States was convened in February, 1968. On the recommendations of the Conference, a Standing Committee has been constituted to guide and develop the programme. It has nominated subject panels to scrutinise standard books already available in Hindi and to identify gaps which have to be filled in the book production programme. The Commission is serving as the secretariat of the Standing Committee for implementing this scheme and will continue to obtain translation rights for them. During the year, 3 meetings of the Standing Committee, two meetings of the Vice- Chancellors' Conference and 25 meetings of the subject-panels were convened.

8.31. Dictionaries and Manuals:

Two elementary dic- tionaries in physics and chemistry have so far been published and two dictionaries in mathematics and botany are in various stages of printing. A manual on civics was published and

another on physical geography has been approved. The author of the latter has been permitted to get it published under the Commission's scheme. The manual on mathematics is already in press and with the publication of these two manuals, the total number of published manuals will come to ten.

8.32. Publication of Books in Hindi and other Indian Languages :

So far 180 titles (including glossaries) have been published under the various schemes of the Commission. Out of them 72 are original Writings and 108 are translations. Out of the published titles, 157 are in Hindi and 23 are in other Indian languages (Punjabi 7 and Gujarati 16).

8.33. Sale, Promotion, and Distribution:

During the period, total sales of Rs. 7,000 were made by the sales and dis- tribution unit of the Commission, besides sales made by translating agencies and whole-time cells which was of the order of Rs. 40,000. Efforts have been made to push up the sales of publications. 12 exhibitions of books were organised by the Commission during the period. About 20,000 copies of various publications have been distributed during the year.

D. DEVELOPMENT OF SANSKRIT

8.34. Financial Assistance:

Based on the recommendations made by the Sanskrit Commission a number of schemes for the promotion of Sanskrit are being implemented by the Ministry of Education. These, among others, include financial assistance to voluntary Sanskrit organisations, Gurukulas, Sanskrit journals and eminent Sanskrit pandits in indigent circumstances. Grants to Gurukulas are, given towards their maintenance and for awarding stipends to students. Grants to Sanskrit journals are designed to bring about the needed improvement in their form, content and quality. For financial assistance to Sanskrit pandits, grants are released to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. During the current year, grants amounting to Rs. 4.52 lakh have been released to 386 pandits.

8.35. Sanskrit Literature:

125 books relating to Sanskrit language and literature were purchased during the year for free distribution among educational institutions. Nine Sanskrit, publications were brought out during the period by individuals and organisations with the financial assistance provided by the Ministry. Two important out-of-print books, namely, Kathasarit Sagar and Tarka Sangraha, have been got printed through private publishers.

CHAPTER VIII LANGUAGES AND BOOK PROMOTION