Lok Sabha Expands Translation Services to 6 More Languages

In a significant move to promote linguistic inclusivity, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the extension of translation services in the House to six additional languages—Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit, and Urdu. This expansion aims to enhance accessibility for Members of Parliament and strengthen democratic participation. The initiative is part of a broader effort to eventually offer translation services for all 22 languages recognized under Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution. However, the inclusion of Sanskrit sparked debate, with concerns raised about its communicability and official status in states.

Key Highlights

Extension of Translation Services

• Lok Sabha has added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit, and Urdu to its translation services.

Existing Languages

• Until now, translation was available in 10 languages—Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English.

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Future Plans

• Speaker Om Birla stated that efforts are ongoing to gradually extend the service to all 22 languages listed in Schedule 8, subject to resource availability.

Global Recognition

• India’s legislature is the only democratic institution worldwide offering simultaneous translation in multiple languages, a move that has been widely appreciated by global forums.

Sanskrit Controversy

• DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran opposed Sanskrit’s inclusion, questioning its relevance as a spoken language and its status as a state language.
• Maran cited the 2011 Census, which recorded only 73,000 speakers of Sanskrit.
• Speaker Om Birla defended the move, highlighting Sanskrit’s historical and cultural significance.
• The inclusion led to heated exchanges in Parliament between ruling and opposition members.