Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Sikkim officials signed an agreement with the Digital India BHASHINI Division on Wednesday, August 19. The deal aims to bridge the language gap in state government services. They plan to roll out digital tools in Nepali, Bhutia, and Lepcha. The signing took place during a BHASHINI Rajyam State Engagement Workshop in Gangtok.
Key state figures attended the event. These included IT Department Chairman Navraj Gurung, Secretary Bimal Rai, and Principal Director T Samdup. BHASHINI CEO Amitabh Nag and Director Prem Vijay Basnet represented the federal division. Gurung noted the need for this change. He said: "Technology should enable government services to communicate with citizens in their own languages, particularly in rural and remote areas where language barriers can limit access to public services."
The initiative targets sectors like Health, Education, Agriculture, and Urban Development. Officials will train staff to monitor translation accuracy. They plan to test services with users before a full release. The IT Department will manage the rollout alongside BHASHINI experts. Nag demonstrated the platform by generating live Nepali translations of his own English speech.
The workshop also covered technical tools like ARPAN, which handles speech and video translation. Other sessions explored the BHASHINI App Mitra and BHASHINI Pravakta systems. State officials now look toward tourism, farming, and clean energy as primary areas for digital adoption. Joint Director Ashim Tamang concluded the event with a vote of thanks.
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