Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will inaugurate Hindi Diwas 2026 and address the 6th All India Official Language Conference in Mumbai on Monday, September 14.
The two-day conference will bring together scholars, litterateurs, educationists, Members of Parliament, senior government officials and distinguished personalities from various fields to deliberate on the development of Hindi as the Official Language, people’s language and link language, besides its coordination with other Indian languages.
The event will also highlight the relationship between Hindi and Maharashtra’s rich linguistic, cultural and literary traditions.
During the inaugural session, Amit Shah will present the Rajbhasha Gaurav and Rajbhasha Kirti Awards for 2025-26. The awards will honour institutions and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of Official Language.
The Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs has been organising the All India Official Language Conference annually since 2021. The initiative began in Varanasi and has subsequently travelled to Surat, Pune, New Delhi and Gandhinagar before reaching Navi Mumbai this year.
Vande Mataram to be focus of special session
A key attraction of this year’s conference will be a special discussion on the National Song Vande Mataram, focusing on its historical, literary and cultural significance.
Playback singer Hariharan, journalist and writer Nilesh Mishra and Akhilesh Mishra, who is studying Vande Mataram, will participate in the discussion.
Researcher Milind Prabhakar Sabnis will also speak on the historical, literary and cultural aspects of the National Song.
Joydeep Chattopadhyay, a fifth-generation descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Vande Mataram, will also be present at the programme.
The sessions will explore the role of Vande Mataram in India’s freedom movement and its continuing relevance in India’s national consciousness.
Focus on Official Language implementation
A special session will also examine the role of Town Official Language Implementation Committees (TOLICs/NARAKAS) in taking forward Official Language implementation at the grassroots level.
The session will discuss the work and achievements of NARAKAS, while committees that have performed outstanding work will also be honoured.
The conference will feature discussions on Hindi and technology, translation, literature, language development and the wider dissemination of Hindi, as well as coordination between Hindi and other Indian languages.
Books, publications and exhibition
Several books and publications will be launched during the conference, including a special commemorative issue of the Department of Official Language’s journal Rajbhasha Bharati, centred on Vande Mataram.
Other publications include Bharatiya Gyan Tantra: Srot aur Swaroop, Shiv Anadi Hain, Anant Hain, and Andheron Se Ujalon Tak, a compilation of writings by prison inmates.
A special exhibition at the venue will feature 32 stalls set up by various institutions, organisations, banks and Central ministries, including two special stalls of the Maharashtra government, the Department of Official Language and the Publications Division.
The exhibition will showcase publications, initiatives, work and achievements relating to Hindi and Indian languages.
On September 15, lyricist and writer Manoj Muntashir will participate in a special session, followed by a cultural programme organised by the Maharashtra government showcasing the state’s cultural and artistic traditions.
Constitutional mandate
Article 343 of the Constitution provides for Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union, while Article 351 places responsibility on the Union to promote, develop and enrich Hindi.
The Department of Official Language is working towards fulfilling these constitutional responsibilities.
The 6th All India Official Language Conference is expected to provide a platform for strengthening coordination, dialogue and partnership among Hindi and other Indian languages, while exploring new opportunities in technology, translation, literature and language development.
