Vishwa Hindi Diwas

Vishwa Hindi Diwas

• Every year on January 10th, Vishwa Hindi Diwas (VHD) or World Hindi Day (WHD) is observed to promote the Hindi language throughout the world.
• Whereas Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14th and focuses primarily on the recognition of the Hindi language in India.

What is Vishwa Hindi Diwas?

• It was established in 2006 to mark the 10th anniversary of the inaugural World Hindi Conference, which was held in Nagpur on January 10, 1975.
• It commemorates the first time Hindi was spoken at the United Nations General Assembly in 1949. It is also observed by Indian embassies situated around the world.
• In 2018, the World Hindi Secretariat building in Port Louis, Mauritius, was dedicated.

Significance:

• The goal of this day is to raise awareness about the Indian language and promote it as a universal language all over the world.
• It is also utilized to raise awareness about the use of the Indian language, as well as the concerns that still exist regarding the use and promotion of the Hindi language.
• National Hindi Day is observed every year on September 14 to commemorate the adoption of Hindi as the official language of India by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1949.
• Important contributions were made by Kaka Kalelkar, Maithili Sharan Gupta, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, and Seth Govindadas in making Hindi the official language.
• Hindi is also on the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India.
• Article 351 is a directive for the development of the Hindi language.
• Government Initiatives to Promote Hindi: In 1960, the Government of India formed the Central Hindi Directorate under the Ministry of Education.
• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has established "Hindi Chairs" in a number of overseas universities and institutions.
• LILA-Rajbhasha (Learn Indian Languages Using Artificial Intelligence) is an intelligent self-tutoring multimedia application for learning Hindi.
• The Department of Official Language's E-Saral Hindi Vakya Kosh and E-Mahashabdkosh Mobile Apps both aim to use information technology to help the growth of Hindi.
• Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar and Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar honor contributions to the Hindi language.

About The Hindi Language:

• The Persian word Hind, which means "country of the Indus River," inspired the name Hindi.
• In the early 11th century, Turk conquerors dubbed the region's language Hindi, which means 'language of the Indus River'.
• It is one of India's two official languages, the other being English.
• Outside of India, Hindi is spoken in Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nepal.
• Hindi in its current form evolved through several stages, during which it was known by various names. Apabhramsa was the earliest form of old Hindi. In 400 AD, Kalidas authored Vikramorvashiyam, a romance play in Apabhramsa.
• The present Devanagari script first appeared in the 11th century.