Sri Vijaya Puram, April 29: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has renewed its push for wider use of Hindi in official work, with Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar directing departments to accelerate compliance with the Official Language Policy during a high-level review meeting held on April 28.
Chairing the 94th meeting of the Town Official Language Implementation Committee (TOLIC) at the Secretariat Conference Hall in Sri Vijaya Puram, Kumar stressed that the Union Territory falls under Region ‘A’ as per the Official Language Rules, 1976, making it mandatory for Central Government offices to conduct most official work in Hindi.
Highlighting policy obligations, the Chief Secretary said the Ministry of Home Affairs remains committed to enforcing the Official Language Policy across Central Government institutions. He underscored that officials serving in such offices carry the responsibility to ensure that the majority of official work is executed in Hindi.
Kumar pointed out that a large section of officers and staff posted in the islands are proficient in Hindi and capable of handling official tasks in the language. He noted that the transition has become easier with the availability of government-backed digital tools such as Bharati and Bhashini, which are designed to facilitate administrative work in Hindi.
Calling for institutional efforts, he directed all Heads of Offices to organise regular training sessions and workshops aimed at familiarising employees with these software platforms. He said such initiatives would help improve efficiency and encourage greater adoption of Hindi in routine official communication.
The Chief Secretary also urged departments to take concrete steps to meet targets set by the Government of India for conducting official work in Hindi, signalling a stricter approach towards implementation and monitoring.
Earlier in the meeting, Secretary (Official Language) Richa presented an overview of the activities undertaken by TOLIC, outlining progress and ongoing efforts related to language implementation. The discussion points were subsequently detailed by Rajendra Indwar, Deputy Secretary (Official Language) and Member Secretary of TOLIC, through a PowerPoint presentation.
The meeting focused on reviewing current practices and identifying measures to strengthen adherence to the policy framework governing official language use in government functioning.
With administrative emphasis now shifting towards compliance and capacity building, the latest directive is expected to influence operational practices across Central Government offices in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
