Gandhinagar: It is essential to ensure that language is not a barrier in governance, said state science and technology minister Arjun Modhwadia on Wednesday. He spoke at a day-long workshop on ‘Bhashini Rajyam: Gujarat Chapter’, organised jointly by Gujarat Informatics Ltd and the Union ministry of electronics and information technology.AI-based ‘Bhashini’ tools allow translation from English or any language into local languages, making it easier to understand subjects, the minister said. “No work should be halted due to language barriers. Gujarat govt websites and circulars can be made available in Gujarati from English. This workshop on Bhashini, promoting multilingual digital governance, will prove very important for employees and officers,” the minister said.Modhwadia said that language is a crucial tool for effective and inclusive public service delivery. Digital governance goals are achieved when services are available in a language that citizens understand. Most citizens in Gujarat prefer to communicate in Gujarati and other Indian languages, making it essential to ensure language is not a barrier in govt services, he added.Amitabh Nag, CEO of Digital India ‘Bhashini’ division, said the workshop will help officers and employees use local languages better, aiding governance. India has a rich linguistic heritage, making it essential to know and understand all languages.He added that AI-based Bhashini tools are proving crucial for understanding Indian languages. As AI-based tools, they require minor adjustments. Continuous research and development through technology are making Bhashini more accurate and user-friendly, he said, demonstrating a live translation from English to Gujarati using Bhashini tools.Quoting secretary (science and technology) P Bharathi, the statement said that the govt aims to use AI to improve service quality and convenience, ensuring it is reliable, secure, privacy-protecting, inclusive, and functional for every citizen.
