A renewed emphasis on the use of Hindi in official communication was the central theme at the 93rd meeting of the Town Official Language Implementation Committee (TOLIC), held at the Secretariat’s Conference Hall in Sri Vijaya Puram on August 6. Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar, who chaired the meeting, urged departments to accelerate the adoption of Hindi in day-to-day administrative work, as mandated under the Official Language Rules, 1976.
Highlighting that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under Region ‘A’, where the use of Hindi is mandatory in Central Government offices, he called for collective responsibility in ensuring compliance. He noted that most officials in the territory are proficient in Hindi and equipped to handle documentation and communication in the language.
The Chief Secretary also emphasized the utility of modern tools such as Kanthasth 2.0 and Bhashini, developed by the Government of India, that facilitate Hindi typing and translation. He recommended regular training sessions to familiarize staff with these digital platforms, thereby enabling smoother and more consistent usage of Hindi in official work.
Heads of departments were directed to conduct internal Hindi workshops to raise awareness and improve fluency among staff. For smaller offices, the Member Secretary was tasked with organizing sessions at the TOLIC office itself, making training more accessible.
The meeting opened with Secretary (Official Language) Richa welcoming the participants and providing a brief on TOLIC’s ongoing activities. A detailed presentation of agenda points was made by Rajendra Indwar, Deputy Secretary (Official Language), through a PowerPoint briefing.
Following the discussions, awards were distributed for exemplary implementation of the Official Language Policy during 2024-25. In Category-I, the Office of the Director General of Audit, Coast Guard Headquarters, and the National Statistics Office bagged the top three positions. The Andaman Lakshadweep Harbour Works and Central Island Agricultural Research Institute were awarded consolation prizes. In Category-II, the Directorate of Census Operations, Botanical Survey of India, and the Office of the Assistant Defence Estate Officer received the top awards, while the Food Corporation of India earned a consolation prize.
The administration reiterated its commitment to promoting Hindi not just as a compliance measure but as a means of ensuring linguistic inclusivity and effective communication across departments. The TOLIC meeting marked another step forward in aligning island governance with the Centre’s language policy goals
