World Hindi Day

Every year, January 10 is celebrated as World Hindi Day to mark the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference that took place in 1975 in Nagpur, Maharashtra. World Hindi Day is also known as  Vishwa Hindi Divas. 

This article will provide you with information about one of the important days celebrated – World Hindi Day, in the context of the IAS Exam. 

The candidates can read more about other significant days celebrated from the links provided below:

World Hindi Day, 2021

• January 10, 2021, marks the 15th World Hindi Day as celebrated in India and internationally.
• This day is celebrated by organising special programs in not only government offices and schools, but also in Indian embassies located all over the world. 
• In schools, the students are encouraged to participate in various literary programmes which are organised in the Hindi language. 
• It is celebrated by the Minister of External Affairs and Department of Official Languages in our country and other foreign countries to ensure that the language thrives in other parts of the world and also to give rise to much more Hindi enthusiasts. 
• This day holds much more significance as it is celebrated by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO).  

Source – NDTV

 About the Hindi Language

• The word Hindi got its name from the Persian word Hind, which means the ‘land of Indus River’.
• Hindi written in Devanagari script is to be the official language of the Union. 
• It is one of the 22 official languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the constitution. 
• Hindi is considered the fourth most widely spoken language in the world.
• Hindi-Urdu is a member of the Indo-Aryan language family, widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent. 
• Hindi is not only spoken in India, it is also widely spoken in other countries across the globe and some of them are:
  • Nepal, 
  • Bangladesh, 
  • Fiji, 
  • Mauritius, 
  • Suriname, 
  • Guyana, 
  • Pakistan,
  • UAE,
  • Trinidad and Tobago among others.

What is the difference between Hindi Divas and World Hindi Day?

• National Hindi day (Hindi Divas) is different from World Hindi Day (Vishwa Hindi Divas). Even though both the days are celebrated based on the Hindi Language, the objective and significance of these days are different from each other. 
• On September 14, 1949, the Hindi language was officially adopted as the language of the Union by the Constituent Assembly. 
• In order to celebrate the adoption of the Hindi language as an official language of India, the first Hindi Day was observed on September 14, 1953. 
• Also, it is observed to celebrate the birth anniversary of one of the biggest supporters of the Hindi language, Rajendra Sinha. 
• Every year, on September 14, poets, writers, thinkers, and philosophers of the Hindi language are recognised and honoured. Whereas, on January 10 of every year, efforts are made to achieve global recognition for Hindi. 

To read more about the Hindi Divas [September 14], check out the linked article. 

History

• The first World Hindi Conference, which took place in 1975 was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. 
• The chief guest of the first conference was Mauritius Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. It was attended by 122 delegates from 30 countries.
• Since 2006, every year on January 10, ‘World Hindi Day’ started being celebrated all over the world.
• It was announced by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to celebrate January 10 as World Hindi Day. 
• The first ‘World Hindi Day’ was celebrated by the Indian Embassy in Norway.

Significance

• It is a very important day for Hindi lovers. 
• Objectives of World Hindi Day:
• • The aim of celebrating World Hindi Day is to promote Hindi all over the world. 
  • Another objective is to establish Hindi as one of the International languages. 
  • To create recognition, fondness and respect for the language among the people across the globe. 
  • Also, to create awareness about the condition of Hindi. 

To read more about Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas and its significance, check the linked article. 

World Hindi Conference

• Even though World Hindi Day is celebrated every year, the World Hindi Conference is organised once in three years. 
• The first World Hindi Conference was organised in Nagpur, Maharashtra on the dates of 10-12 January 1975. 
• The 10th World Hindi Conference was organised in Bhopal, India from 10-12 September 2015. 
• The 11th World Hindi Conference was organised by the Government of Mauritius in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India from 18-20 August 2018. 

• The 12th World Hindi Conference would be organised by Fiji. It is important to note that Fiji Hindi is one of the official languages of Fiji and the constitution of Fiji ensures that Hindi would be protected in Fiji. 

World Hindi Day [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

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