Guwahati hosts power-packed official language conference – CM Sarma to honour excellence in linguistic governance

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 4, 2025

Guwahati is set to become the epicentre of linguistic governance as it hosts the Joint Regional Official Language Conference and Award Distribution Ceremony for the East and Northeast Regions on Wednesday. Organized by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, the event aims to bolster the implementation of the Official Language Policy across Central Government offices, banks, and public sector undertakings.

The prestigious conference will be graced by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, alongside MPs Dilip Saikia and Bijuli Kalita Medhi as distinguished guests.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Dr. Meenakshi Jolly, joint secretary of the Department of Official Language, highlighted the conference’s dual focus on the East and Northeast regions. The East region covers West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, while the Northeast region includes Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

One of the event’s key highlights will be CM Himanta Biswa Sarma presenting awards to various offices, banks, and undertakings that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to the Official Language Policy. A total of 48 awards will be distributed, and selected through Quarterly Progress Reports submitted via the Information Management System.

Additionally, Town Official Language Implementation Committees (TOLICs) will be recognized with the TOLIC Rajbhasha Samman for their contributions to linguistic governance.

In a move to modernize and promote multilingual accessibility, the conference will also witness the launch of Kanthastha 3.0, the latest alpha version of a multilingual translation software under Bhartiya Bhasha Anubhag. Additionally, a special issue of the departmental magazine Rajbhasha Bharti will be unveiled.

This conference follows two previous regional editions, held in Mysore (January 4) and Jaipur (February 17), and is part of a broader initiative to strengthen linguistic inclusivity across Central Government institutions, banks, PSUs, and autonomous bodies.