New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a favourable atmosphere has emerged across the country for the resurgence of Sanskrit.
Addressing the closing ceremony of 1,008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs in the national capital, HM Shah said that around 18 projects have been implemented under the Ashtadashi scheme, and the Central government provides financial support for the publication, bulk purchase, and reprinting of rare Sanskrit texts.
He also credited PM Modi for a hike in the honorarium for distinguished Sanskrit scholars.
HM Shah emphasised that one of the most significant initiatives of PM Modi-led government is a nationwide campaign with a budget of approximately Rs 500 crore aimed at collecting scattered manuscripts in Sanskrit and Prakrit.
He said that PM Modi has launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission with a foundational corpus of Rs 500 crore dedicated to manuscript preservation, with allocations planned in every budget going forward.
He further said that over 52 lakh manuscripts have already been documented, around 3.5 lakh digitised, and 1,37,000 made available online at namami.gov.in.
To support this massive effort, a team comprising scholars from various disciplines and languages has been constituted to translate and preserve these rare manuscripts.
HM Shah praised Sanskrit Bharati for its remarkable and courageous initiative in organising 1,008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs. He noted that the decline of Sanskrit began even before the era of colonial rule, and its revival will require time and sustained effort.
The event was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
HM Shah said that since 1981, Sanskrit Bharati has been working to present the vast knowledge available in Sanskrit to the world and to train and enable millions of people to speak and learn Sanskrit.
He highlighted that many renowned global scholars have acknowledged Sanskrit as the most scientific language. Emphasising a forward-looking approach, he said that rather than dwelling on the history of Sanskrit’s decline, efforts should now focus on its resurgence.
(IANS)
