Guwahati: What began as a routine MoU ceremony turned into a day of lively exchange and renewed optimism as the Government of Assam signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BHASHINI (Digital India BHASHINI Division) and hosted the BHASHINI Rajyam – State Workshop in Guwahati.
The event brought together officers from multiple government departments, as well as representatives from IIT Guwahati, Gauhati University, Cotton University, and several civil society groups. Their active participation underscored a shared belief: in Assam and the North East, language is not just a tool—it’s a cornerstone of identity.
Bringing Assamese and NE Languages Into the Digital Future
As the world increasingly moves online, smaller language communities risk being left behind by an internet and AI ecosystem dominated by a handful of global languages. This digital divide often mirrors a language divide.
BHASHINI aims to bridge that gap.
By building efficient, domain-ready translation models, pooling language corpora across Indian languages, and enabling transfer learning, BHASHINI allows low-resource languages—like Assamese—to “piggyback” on richer language datasets. The result: cost-efficient, scalable language solutions that place every Indian language firmly in the digital ecosystem.
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This vision positions BHASHINI as a part of India’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), alongside UPI, Aadhaar and DigiLocker—an AI pathway that is, as many noted, “uniquely Indian,” shaped neither by Big Tech nor an overcentralised state, but by collective public innovation.
Language as Identity, Inclusion and Empowerment
The spirit of the day was captured by two powerful remarks:
Shri Keshab Mahanta, Hon’ble Minister, IT, Government of Assam, said:
“Language is at the heart of Assam’s identity. Clause 6 of the historic Assam Accord promises safeguards to protect the cultural, social and linguistic identity of the Assamese people. Today, by signing an MoU with BHASHINI, we are taking that spirit into the digital era—ensuring that through language AI, our languages are fully present in governance, technology and public services.”
Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, reflected on how technology is reshaping communication:
“People naturally think in their mother tongue. In the past, I even had to learn five languages to communicate across regions. But with platforms like BHASHINI, the need to master multiple languages may gradually diminish, as digital systems begin to bridge linguistic divides and empower citizens in their own tongues.”
A Collaborative Push for Language-Led Digital Inclusion
The Government of Assam expressed its gratitude to Amitabh Nag, CEO of DIBD, and his team, as well as all participating departments and institutions. The state reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with BHASHINI to take language-based digital public infrastructure to the last mile—ensuring that every citizen can interact with the digital state in their own language.
With this MoU, Assam signals a clear message: the future of governance and technology in the state will be inclusive, multilingual and proudly reflective of its linguistic heritage.