Uttarakhand to train 1 lakh in spoken Sanskrit for everyday use
Dehradun: In a bid to promote Sanskrit as a spoken language, the Uttarakhand govt has announced plans to train one lakh people in basic conversational Sanskrit through both online and offline modes. The initiative is part of a broader effort to connect the ancient language, which is the second official language of the Himalayan state after Hindi, with livelihood opportunities. As part of this push, certificate courses in yajna, rituals and Vedic studies will be introduced to help youth find employment in Sanskrit-related fields. In the initial phase, 100 students will receive training in conversational Sanskrit and the 16 traditional Hindu rites (sanskars), with plans to scale up the programme annually.
Announcing these plans at the 10th general committee meeting of the Uttarakhand Sanskrit Academy on Thursday, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami highlighted the state's rich cultural and spiritual heritage rooted in Sanskrit, yoga and Ayurveda. "We aim to bring Sanskrit back into everyday life — not just as the language of scriptures, but as a spoken form of communication," Dhami said. He also proposed annual awards and honorariums for individuals who make significant contributions to Sanskrit education and literature.
To further integrate the language into public life, it was proposed that all govt office name plates should also include Sanskrit and schools be asked to promote the language through debates, essay competitions and shloka recitations. "The state is also developing 13 Sanskrit villages — one in each district — with plans of expanding to every block in the future," said education minister Dhan Singh Rawat, who was present at the meeting.
Rawat also outlined additional measures, including scholarships and incentives for students and priests, creation of Vedic study centres and a short film competition focused on contemporary Sanskrit themes. "The state will collaborate with national and international institutions to advance Sanskrit research and education, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020. District-level nodal officers will be appointed to oversee and support these initiatives," he added.
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Highlighting the employment potential of the language, Deepak Kumar, secretary of the Sanskrit department said, "Sanskrit offers a wide range of opportunities and we are working to shape it into a viable career path. By training students in the 16 traditional Hindu sanskars, we aim to prepare them for roles such as priests and ritual specialists."
He added, "The initiative goes beyond preserving a classical language — it's about creating sustainable careers grounded in India's rich cultural and spiritual heritage."
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