In a bid to implement the Uttarakhand Sanskrit Shiksha Act-2014, which was passed in a special Assembly session at Gairsain of Chamoli district in June 2014, a meeting of the Sanskrit Education Council was convened in the secretariat at the behest of the State Government on Friday. The State Sanskrit Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani presided over it. In course of the meeting, the council constituted five separate committees, which have been assigned different tasks related to promotion of Sanskrit education. The meeting was called particularly to deliberate on how to inspire people to adopt Sanskrit language in their daily intercourse with life.
Naithani said Sanskrit language figures prominently in the Indian view of things. What is needed now is to make it a thriving part of the common people’s life. He appealed to the scholars to make it more interesting and also appealed to the Sanskrit Academy to give adequate importance to the language. There is a need to appoint assistant director at district levels. He asked the officials to expedite the recruitment process involving the vacant posts.
He asked the scholars to delve deep in the world of languages and evolve ways to make Sanskrit a more interesting one than others. You also arrange funds from the Centrally sponsored schemes and other institutions. To make what is known as the Classical language more popular, it is an imperative to adequately simplify Sanskrit education curriculum.
Additional Secretary Vinod Prasad Raturi assured that he would implement all the recommendations given by the Minister.
Director, Sanskrit Education, Kunwar Rakesh Kunwar said that Uttarakhand Sanskrit Education Council came up and Uttarakhand Sanskrit Education Act-2014 was passed by the State Government thanks to the invincible zeal and untiring efforts of the Minister Naithani.
To make Sanskrit more popular, the State Government had given Sanskrit second official language status in 2010 and Uttarakhand Sanskrit University was established in 2006.
During the meeting, the council constituted five committees. Syllabus committee comprises chief education officer Dehradun SP Khali, former director, Sanskrit education Dehradun, Dr Wachaspati Maithani, lecturer language Science SCERT Dehradun Dr Sadhna Dimri, Asst Prof Dr Sumit Dixit, Principal Dr Omprakash Dimir and eight other members.
Examination committee comprises Principal Dr Gopal Dutt Tirpathi, Principal BC Joshi, lecturer Natthilal Bhatt and four other members. Examination Result committee comprises Dr Annapurna, Principal of Government Inter College Chharba, Dehradun, Asst Principal Dr BB Upadhyaya and five other members. Affiliation committee comprises Kiran Bahukhandi, Asst Director SCERT, Dehradun, Dr Kamlapati Shashtri Principal Rishikul Vidyapeeth Brahmacharya Sanskrit College, Haridwar and Dr Bhola Jha, Principal of Bhagwandas Adarsh, Sanskrit College Haridwar and four others. Finance committee comprises Mohd Gulfam Ahmed, Finance controller Sanskrit education Uttarkhand and Dr Arun Kumar Tripathi, Principal and caretaker director Ayurveda & Yunani service Uttarakhand and Dr Ashish Negi, assistant principal Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College, Ghurdaudi, Pauri Garhwal and four others.
Notably, Director and Secretary of Sanskrit Education Council would be the chairman and secretary for all the five committees.