The Ministry of Rural Development held a meeting of its Hindi Advisory Committee on August 19, 2026, at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament including Shri Kalyan Banerjee, Shri Dharambir Singh, and Smt. Anita Nagarsingh Chouhan, along with other committee members and senior ministry officers.
Shri Narendra Bhushan, Secretary of the Department of Land Resources, and Shri Rohit Kansal, Secretary of Rural Development, presented progress reports on promoting the use of Official Language Hindi in their respective departments. They highlighted the ministry's continued efforts and steady progress in promoting Hindi in official correspondence.
The meeting included eminent Hindi scholars as special invitees, including Shri Girish Pankaj, Shri Indra Kumar Jain, Shri Devi Prasad Mishra, Advocate Dr. B. Madhu, Dr. Narendra Kumar Sant, Smt. Kathy Rohulupuii, and Shri Rajneesh Mohanot. Committee members and scholars provided constructive suggestions for further promoting Hindi usage in the ministry, which were welcomed by Minister Chouhan with assurance they would be considered and acted upon earnestly.
Minister Chouhan addressed the meeting, stating that excessive dependence on English in government functioning reflects a colonial mindset and emphasized the need to take pride in using Hindi and other Indian languages. He noted that since the ministry works primarily for rural populations, its policies and programs should be communicated in accessible languages. Chouhan described Hindi as the "soul of India and the voice of the common people" and called upon officers to increase Hindi usage in official work.
The minister directed that Hindi Advisory Committee meetings should be held regularly and that local litterateurs should be associated with the ministry's programs to further promote Hindi. He also emphasized that correspondence with State Governments should, wherever appropriate, be conducted in their respective regional languages. The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening Hindi and other Indian languages in official functioning and bringing rural development program benefits closer to the people.