Uttarakhand to train 1 lakh in spoken Sanskrit for everyday use
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.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
3 Reasons to Plug This Into Your Home Today
elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill
Learn More
Undo
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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Peace push: US eyes Budapest for Donald Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy meet; Russia signals gradual approach
File photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy (Picture credit: AP) The White House is considering Budapest as the potential venue for a high-stakes trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a Trump administration official and a person familiar with the discussions. According to Politico, the US Secret Service has begun preparations in Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a long-time ally of Trump. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm details, saying, 'I'm not going to confirm or deny locations.' While Moscow has pushed for the talks to take place in Russia and French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested Geneva, Budapest has emerged as the frontrunner, Politico noted. Switzerland also offered itself as a host, with its foreign minister promising 'immunity' to Putin despite an outstanding war crimes warrant. Hungary's selection would be sensitive for Kyiv, recalling the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which the US, UK and Russia guaranteed Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for it giving up nuclear weapons, a pledge undermined by Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Despite ongoing uncertainty, momentum has built following Trump's recent Alaska meeting with Putin. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a bilateral between Putin and Zelenskyy could happen within weeks, with Trump later announcing he would join them in a trilateral format as a 'final step.' Russian officials, however, are said to be slowing progress. Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told state television Moscow favoured talks that proceed 'step by step, gradually.' At Tuesday's briefing, Leavitt confirmed that 'President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelenskyy and President Trump.' As per Fox News, she added that Vice President JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were coordinating efforts to make the bilateral happen 'as soon as possible.' The update came a day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders met Trump at the White House to discuss next steps. Leaders praised Trump's role, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb remarking, 'In the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three-and-a-half years.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the view, saying that for years 'nobody has been able to bring it to this point.' Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte added, 'Without President Trump, this deadlock with Putin would not have been broken.' According to Politico, Nato defence chiefs and senior military leaders from the US, UK, Germany, France, Finland and Italy are holding parallel talks in Washington on possible security guarantees for Ukraine, including discussions over a peacekeeping mission and additional American arms. Putin, meanwhile, used his joint press conference with Trump in Alaska to endorse Trump's long-standing claim about the origins of the war, saying, 'I can confirm that' Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump had been re-elected in 2020. As questions continue about long-term security guarantees for Ukraine beyond Trump's current term, Leavitt said the president 'understands the need' and is discussing future commitments with Nato and European partners.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Oil prices rise after supply concerns resurface as Ukraine peace talks stall
Oil prices rose on Wednesday as supply concerns are resurfacing while peace talks ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine are likely to take longer, leaving in place sanctions on Russian crude and raising the chance of further restrictions on its buyers. Brent crude futures were at $65.93 a barrel by 0149 GMT, up 14 cents, or 0.21%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September delivery, set to expire on Wednesday, rose 37 cents to $62.72 a barrel, up 0.59%. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Happens When You Massage Baking Soda Into Your Scalp Read More Undo The more-active October contract was at $61.92 a barrel, up 15 cents. Prices settled down more than 1% on Tuesday on optimism a deal to end the war seemed closer, which would mean the easing sanctions on Russia and an increase in global supply. However, despite comments from U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday the U.S. might provide air support as part of a deal to end Russia's war in the country, he also conceded Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to make a deal after all. Live Events Trump on Monday said he was arranging a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy, to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents. Trump said on Tuesday he discussed holding possible talks between Zelenskiy and Putin in Hungary with the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Russia has not confirmed it will take part in talks with Zelenskiy. "The likelihood of a quick resolution to the conflict with Russia now seems unlikely," said Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ, in a note on Wednesday. In the U.S., BP said on Tuesday operations at its 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, were affected due to flooding caused by a severe thunderstorm overnight, potentially weighing on the facility's crude demand. The site is a key fuel producer for the Midwest market.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
The Real Story Of Gopal Patha: Hero, Vigilante, Or Misunderstood Symbol?
Last Updated: As Vivek Agnihotri's new film 'The Bengal Files' revisits the 1946 Calcutta riots, it has reignited debate over Gopal Patha, a controversial but largely forgotten figure When the trailer of The Bengal Files was released on August 16 in Kolkata, it featured a character with a red tilak, seated before an idol of Kali, speaking to a crowd about Hindu decline and blaming Gandhi's principle of non-violence. The character, though unnamed, was recognisable, especially in Bengal, as being based on Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, known locally as Gopal Patha. For most of the country, the name meant little. For his family, it meant trouble. In the days since the trailer's release, Patha's grandson has filed a police complaint, sent a legal notice to the filmmaker, and accused the production of distorting his grandfather's legacy. The Historical Context: Calcutta, August 1946 Gopal Patha's name is tied to one of the bloodiest chapters in India's pre-independence history — the communal violence that erupted in Calcutta during the week of August 16, 1946, now remembered as the Great Calcutta Killings. The violence began after the All-India Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, called for 'Direct Action Day" to press its demand for a separate Muslim homeland. The League had grown increasingly frustrated with the Congress-led negotiations with the British, and August 16 was meant to be a nationwide show of strength. But in Bengal, where the League was in power, it spiralled into something far more deadly. Riots broke out in Calcutta on the morning of August 16 and continued for nearly four days. Streets turned into battlegrounds. Shops were looted, homes set ablaze, and thousands were hacked or burned to death. While the violence eventually engulfed all communities, contemporary reports suggest some of the earliest attacks occurred in Hindu localities. As law and order crumbled and the British colonial administration remained largely disengaged, some men took it upon themselves to organise armed resistance. One of them was Gopal Patha, a 33-year-old from College Street who ran a goat meat shop. The Man And His Methods The nickname 'Patha", Bengali for goat, came from his family business. But Gopal Patha was more than a butcher. He was a wrestler and associated with the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary nationalist group. Faced with reports of attacks and with no visible state protection, Patha mobilised local youth into an armed unit, which he later named Bharater Jatiya Bahini (Indian National Force). Patha's actions were controversial even at the time. He was feared, followed, and criticised in equal measure. Some saw him as a neighbourhood protector who stepped in when the state failed. Others saw him as a dangerous strongman who escalated the violence. His Own Words: The 1997 Interview In 1997, former BBC journalist Andrew Whitehead interviewed Gopal Patha. Patha openly admitted to forming an armed group, raising funds from local sawmills and factories, and issuing cash payments for killings: 'For one murder, you get Rs 10. For a half-murder, Rs 5. That's how we got started." It was a chillingly transactional account. But alongside this, Patha repeatedly emphasised that his men were given moral limits: 'I had given strict orders not to misbehave with women, not kill any women… Do not loot." In his telling, this wasn't indiscriminate revenge; it was retributive justice, targeted only at those he claimed had attacked Hindus. He positioned himself as someone responding to state failure, not as someone leading a communal war. The rhetoric was brutal, but layered with a sense of self-ascribed discipline: 'If you come to know that one murder has taken place, you commit 10 murders. That was the order for my boys… It was my duty." This idea of 'duty', to protect, to retaliate, to uphold community honour, ran through his words. So did a rejection of Gandhian non-violence. When Gandhi came to Calcutta in 1947 and asked for weapons to be surrendered as a gesture of peace, Patha refused outright: 'With these arms I saved the women of my area… Where was Gandhiji during the Great Calcutta Killing?" He made it clear that idealism, in his view, had no place when people were being butchered in the streets. These remarks are not just historical quotes; they frame the core of the current debate. Gopal Patha saw himself as a necessary force of resistance, one who stepped in when the state and moral appeals had failed. But whether that self-image should be accepted, and whether it justifies the extent of the violence, is exactly what makes his portrayal in The Bengal Files so contentious. To his family, his code of restraint and his post-riot anonymity make him a protector. To others, the violence he unleashed and the language he used suggest a vigilante who normalised revenge. And that split, between the way he remembered himself, and the way others choose to represent him now, is what lies at the heart of the storm around the film. The Film At The Centre Of The Storm The Bengal Files, earlier titled The Delhi Files, is the third film in Vivek Agnihotri's 'Files" trilogy, after The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. It explores the communal violence that broke out in Bengal during the 1940s, particularly the Great Calcutta Killings triggered by Direct Action Day in 1946 and the subsequent Noakhali riots. Written and directed by Agnihotri, the film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Sourav Das, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar. It is slated to release in theatres on September 5, 2025. Early Warnings: The Family Raised Concerns In 2023 Long before The Bengal Files entered the public domain, Gopal Patha's family had already expressed concern that his legacy was being misrepresented. In 2023, on the 77th anniversary of the Calcutta riots, his grandson Santanu Mukherjee spoke to ThePrint from the family's Central Kolkata office. He said his grandfather took up arms to protect Hindus, not to stoke hatred. He pointed out that Patha continued buying goats from Muslim sellers even during the violence. Santanu also said that his grandfather's ethics came from the Anushilan Samiti, and that he laid down rules: no attacks on innocents, no targeting of women. He said the family had been approached for a possible biopic, but backed out when they felt the story was being politicised. 'History is nuanced," he said. 'One should not twist it for narrow ends." This was 2023, two years before the film's trailer dropped, but the anxiety over how Patha's story would be retold was already surfacing. The Legal Complaint That fear, according to Santanu Mukherjee, was realised when the trailer of The Bengal Files was released. In a statement to India Today, he said he was particularly angered by a reel posted by director Vivek Agnihotri that referred to his grandfather as 'Ek tha kasai Gopal Patha." He called the label 'derogatory and misleading" and emphasised that his grandfather was a freedom fighter and a wrestler, not a butcher. He also alleged that the family was never contacted during the making of the film. The family has since filed an FIR and served a legal notice to Agnihotri. What The Filmmakers Say Director Vivek Agnihotri has denied any distortion, saying the character is only 'inspired" by Gopal Patha and is shown as a hero. 'He was a hero. I have shown him as a hero in the film," Agnihotri said. 'I've taken a small bit from his BBC interview and used his words verbatim. I know people in Bengal regard him as a hero, and that's how he is portrayed." A Legacy That Still Divides Gopal Patha remains a deeply polarising figure. Police officers from the time called him 'ferocious but helpful." Eyewitnesses described him as a criminal who also saved lives. Historians are divided; some highlight his retaliatory violence, others focus on the power vacuum he stepped into. top videos View all He never claimed to be peaceful, but he claimed to be principled. He lived and died with that version of himself. Now, as a new generation encounters him on screen, his family says that version is under threat. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Vivek Agnihotri view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 20, 2025, 07:46 IST News explainers The Real Story Of Gopal Patha: Hero, Vigilante, Or Misunderstood Symbol? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
