On Hindi Divas, Didi lists state initiatives for Hindi-speakers
Times of India | 15 September 2025
Kolkata: Extending her greetings on
, CM
said on Sunday, "We respect all languages." She also highlighted several initiatives taken by state govt for the welfare of Hindi-speaking people in Bengal, including the recognition of Hindi as an official language in areas where 10% of the population speaks the language.
Taking to X, Banerjee said: "Today is Hindi Divas. On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all my Hindi-speaking brothers and sisters. Every year, we celebrate Hindi Divas with reverence." She went on to add: "Since 2011, we have taken several steps for the development of Hindi-speaking people in the state. In areas where more than 10% of the population speaks Hindi, provisions were made to use Hindi as an official language.
"
The CM said her govt had also recognised Santhali, Kurukh, Kudmali, Nepali, Urdu, Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Odia, Punjabi and Telugu as official languages. "We also made efforts to promote the Sadri language," she said.
Banerjee listed several initiatives — establishment of the Hindi Academy, setting up of a Hindi University in Howrah, Hindi-medium colleges in Banarhat and Naxalbari and the introduction of Hindi PG courses in several colleges. She noted that question papers of HS and secondary exams at Rabindra Mukta Vidyalaya are now available in Hindi. Social security schemes were extended to Hindi-speaking workers in the unorganised sector, Banerjee said.