Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has announced the expansion of translation services in Parliament to include six new languages—Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu, and Sanskrit. Previously, translation services were available in ten languages apart from Hindi and English. With the addition of these six languages, the scope of translation services has significantly widened.
Om Birla emphasized that efforts are being made to extend translation services to 16 more languages to make the parliamentary system more inclusive. He also noted that India’s multilingual translation initiative has received international appreciation.
Meanwhile, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran raised objections over the inclusion of Sanskrit, calling it a waste of taxpayers’ money as very few people speak the language. In response, Speaker Om Birla firmly stated that Sanskrit is an integral part of India’s linguistic heritage and, as one of the 22 official languages, deserves respect and inclusion in parliamentary proceedings.
