Sri Vijaya Puram, October 17: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has reiterated the need to expand the use of Hindi in official work, with Secretary (Official Language) Rajesh Chopra calling for simple, accessible Hindi in government offices and stressing the administration’s target of 100% usage under the applicable official language framework.
Chopra made the remarks at a prize distribution ceremony organised by the Official Language Department at Tagore Government College of Education in Sri Vijaya Puram on the occasion of Hindi Pakhwada 2026. The event honoured winners of competitions held during the fortnight.
Addressing the gathering, Chopra said government employees should use Hindi in their routine official work and make efforts to achieve the government’s 100% target for its use. He also emphasised the importance of respecting one’s mother tongue and the other languages spoken across India.
Referring to the Official Language Rules, 1976, Chopra said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under Region A, where government work is required to be carried out entirely in Hindi, according to his remarks at the event.
Deputy Secretary (Official Language) Rajendra Indwar, who welcomed the participants, said the department periodically conducts workshops to train employees in new techniques and electronic tools that can help them carry out official work in Hindi.
The department’s training initiatives are intended to familiarise government employees with methods and digital resources for using Hindi in administrative tasks. Indwar’s remarks highlighted the role of employee training alongside the emphasis on language use in official communication.
Senior Translation Officer Mohandas presented the department’s report on Hindi Pakhwada 2026 during the programme. The ceremony brought together the department’s language-related initiatives and the recognition of participants who won competitions held as part of the event.
The administration’s stated objective is to increase Hindi usage in government offices while also recognising the importance of India’s linguistic diversity, as emphasised by the Secretary during the ceremony.
