PIB: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has been awarded the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (First Prize) in the category of Ministries/Departments with fewer than 300 personnel for the year 2023-24. The award was conferred by the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Key Reasons for the Award
DARPG was recognized for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy of India. The department has taken multiple steps to ensure greater usage of Hindi in its official work, including:
- Monitoring compliance through the Hindi Advisory Committee and Official Language Implementation Committee with regular quarterly reviews.
- Publishing and issuing reports, notifications, resolutions, and press releases in both English and Hindi, especially under Section 3(3) of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
- Organizing workshops and competitions to encourage staff to use Hindi more actively.
- Issuing orders for officers to perform their work in Hindi and running incentive schemes for those who do so.
Award Presentation
The award was presented during Hindi Diwas celebrations on September 14, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Mr. V. Srinivas, Secretary of DARPG, received the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar from the Hon’ble Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah.
What This Means Going Forward
This recognition highlights DARPG’s ongoing commitment to linguistic inclusivity and the promotion of Hindi in government work. It sets an example for other departments, particularly those with fewer personnel, to increase compliance with the Official Language Policy. The award is expected to encourage further initiatives in the coming years, including more Hindi usage in day to day correspondence, documents, and digital platforms.
