Govt Making Sustained Efforts For Recognition Of Hindi As An Official Language Of UN: MoS External Affairs

The government on Thursday (2 December) informed the Parliament that it has been making sustained efforts for recognition of Hindi as one of the official languages of the United Nations.

"According to the United Nation’s (UN) procedure, getting Hindi accepted as an official language of the UN involves adoption of a Resolution by the UN General Assembly with at least two-thirds of its membership. Besides, the additional expenditure will have to be borne by all UN Member States," Minister of State for Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

"The Government has been making sustained efforts for the recognition of Hindi as an official language of the UN and to popularize Hindi throughout the UN system," the minister said.

Elaborating the efforts of government towards increasing the acceptance of Hindi at the global body, the minister said that in 2018, a Voluntary Financial Contribution Agreement was signed between the UN and the Government of India to promote Hindi within the UN system for a two-year term.

This was the first Memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the UN with any country, he added.

The minister said that the MoU was extended by another five years in 2019 and is currently in force till March 2025.

"Pursuant to this Agreement, the UN has launched Hindi Social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as a Hindi website of UN News. In addition, the UN broadcasts its programmes on the UN Radio website in Hindi, issues a weekly Hindi news bulletin on Sound Cloud, publishes a UN blog in Hindi and has provided a Hindi extension of UN News mobile app for both Android and iOS," the minister said.

He further added that on several occasions, Indian leaders have delivered statements in Hindi at the UN, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions in 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s address at the UNGA sessions in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.