Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah addressed the inaugural session of Hindi Diwas 2026 and the 6th All India Official Language Conference in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The two-day conference was organised by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Its objective is to promote the progressive use of Hindi in administration and public communication while encouraging co-existence, mutual respect and linguistic harmony with all scheduled Indian languages.
- Started: 2021
- Frequency: Annual
- Venue: Rotates among Indian cities
- Previous venues: Varanasi, Surat, Pune, New Delhi and Gandhinagar
- 6th edition: Mumbai/Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Awards: Rajbhasha Kirti and Rajbhasha Gaurav Awards 2025–26
The conference also seeks to highlight the relationship between Hindi and Maharashtra’s linguistic, cultural and literary traditions.
Key Features
- Vande Mataram sessions: Special discussions commemorating the national song Vande Mataram.
- TOLICs/NARAKAS: Sessions to review and strengthen Town Official Language Implementation Committees, which implement official-language policies among central government offices, PSUs and nationalised banks at the municipal level.
- 32-stall exhibition: Displayed publications, AI-based translation tools and linguistic research from the Publications Division, Central Ministries, PSUs and the Government of Maharashtra.
- Literary releases: Included a special Vande Mataram edition of Rajbhasha Bharati, Bharatiya Gyan Tantra: Srot aur Swaroop and Andheron Se Ujalon Tak, a creative compilation written by prison inmates.
Constitutional Basis
| Article | Key provision |
| Article 343 | Provides for Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union and refers to the international form of Indian numerals. |
| Article 351 | Directs the Union to promote the spread, enrichment and development of Hindi as a medium of expression for India’s composite culture. |
Rajbhasha Awards 2025–26
It is the highest national-level award for Central Government ministries, departments, PSUs and banks recognising exemplary use of Hindi in administrative work and official correspondence.
- First Prize: Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance
- Rajbhasha Utkrishtata Sammaan: Conferred on the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
- It recognises citizen authors, scholars and Central Government employees for producing original, high-quality non-fiction, scientific and technical literature in Hindi.