Agartala, Feb 19 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Joint Regional Official Language Conference (Rajbhasha Sammelan) of the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern regions in Agartala on Friday, officials said.

The conference, the first of its kind in Tripura, will see participation from over 3,000 senior officials, representatives and experts from Central government offices, public sector undertakings and banks across nearly 20 states. According to Anshuli Arya, Secretary, Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the event aims to review progress and promote the use of Hindi in official work while respecting linguistic diversity.

States participating include West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand from the Eastern region; Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim from the North-East; and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from the Northern region.

Arya highlighted that artificial intelligence and modern technologies would help address language-related challenges. She noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah often communicate in simple Hindi for the benefit of citizens and emphasise the promotion of Hindi along with 22 other Indian languages. She clarified that there is no move to impose Hindi on regional languages.

During the event, 80 Regional Official Language Awards for 2024–25 will be presented to offices, banks and undertakings for exemplary implementation of the Official Language Policy. Select City Official Language Implementation Committees will also receive the NARAKAS Rajbhasha Samman.

The inaugural session will feature the release of the Northeast Special Issue of Rajbhasha Bharati and two books on Indian languages and Sanskrit literature, along with an exhibition showcasing innovations in official language implementation.