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State Sanskrit Education Secretary Deepak Kumar held detailed discussions on promoting Sanskrit research, academic exchange and joint research during separate meetings at the embassies of Nepal and Indonesia in New Delhi.

Secretary Deepak Kumar met Acting Ambassador Dr. Surendra Thapa at the Embassy of Nepal and stressed on the global importance of Sanskrit and further strengthening the educational cooperation between India and Nepal.

The meeting discussed the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Uttarakhand Sanskrit University and Nepal Sanskrit University, joint research, teacher and student exchange and expansion of Sanskrit studies.

Dr. Thapa, while praising the efforts of the Uttarakhand government, said that the Sanskrit tradition of Nepal is very rich and with the cooperation of both the countries, Sanskrit education and research will get a new impetus.

Deepak Kumar said that Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General (Retired) Gurmeet Singh considers Sanskrit a simple and practical language and has been emphasizing on making its study and correct pronunciation easier through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state government is making many innovations for the preservation and promotion of Sanskrit and 13 Sanskrit villages have been established in all the 13 districts of the state.

He said that on the occasion of World Sanskrit Day on August 28, seminars, lectures, workshops, cultural programmes and public awareness campaigns will be organised in Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Uttarakhand Sanskrit Institute, Sanskrit villages and various Gurukuls, aimed at highlighting the relevance of Sanskrit in modern society.

In the same sequence, Secretary Deepak Kumar also met Acting Ambassador Yudho Sasongko at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in New Delhi and discussed increasing educational and cultural cooperation between Uttarakhand and Indonesia in the field of Sanskrit and Indian knowledge tradition.

Giving information about the efforts being made by the Uttarakhand government to give Sanskrit the status of second official language and its promotion, he said that the state government is continuously working to give global recognition to Sanskrit.

He informed that the process of establishing a Sanskrit Commission in the state has begun and suggestions have been invited from across the country. These suggestions will be made available to Uttarakhand Sanskrit University before World Sanskrit Day.

He expressed confidence that collaboration with Indonesian universities and educational institutions would give new impetus to the study of Sanskrit and Indian knowledge tradition at the international level.

Deepak Kumar said that even today many words of Sanskrit origin are prevalent in the Indonesian language, which is a proof of the centuries old cultural relations between the two countries.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Indonesia, he said that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had also acknowledged that a large part of the Indonesian language is influenced by Sanskrit.

He proposed that Uttarakhand Sanskrit University and Uttarakhand Sanskrit Sansthan, Haridwar, can enter into MoUs with Indonesian universities and other educational institutions to develop long-term collaboration in the field of joint research, teacher and student exchange and Indian knowledge system and cultural studies.

He said that this initiative of Uttarakhand will not only give a new identity to Sanskrit on the global platform but will also strengthen India’s cultural diplomacy.