WORLD SANSKRIT DAY

World Sanskrit Day (Viswa Samskrita Dinam) was celebrated on 22nd August 2021.
In India, Sanskrit is a Classical and an Eighth Schedule language.
In 2020, the Uttarakhand Government decided to develop ‘Sanskrit Grams’ across the state to teach use of Sanskrit regularly.

Important points:

It is an annual event aimed to promote revival and maintenance of Sanskrit Language.
It is celebrated on Poornima day (Full Moon) of the Shraavana month in the Hindu calendar.
The day essentially speaks of the importance of learning and knowing it, despite it being not as widely spoken as in ancient times.
The Day was celebrated for the first time in the year 1969 after the Union ministry of education issued notifications to state and central governments.
The Sanskrit organisation Samskrita Bharati (NGO) is involved in promoting the day.

Promotion of Sanskrit by the Central Government:

The New Education Policy (NEP) laid an ambitious path for “mainstreaming” the language. Sanskrit is to be offered in schools, including as one of the language options in the three-language formula, as well as in higher education.
NEP also stated that Sanskrit universities will be turned into multi-disciplinary institutions of higher learning.
The government has established the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan in Delhi as a nodal authority to promote Sanskrit.
Providing financial assistance to Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya/Shodha Sansthans.
Award of merit scholarships to students of Sanskrit Pathshala to College level.
Financial assistance to NGOs/Higher Educational Institutions of Sanskrit for various Research Projects/Programmes.
Retired eminent Sanskrit scholars are engaged under the Shastra Chudamani scheme for teaching.
Sanskrit is also taught through Non-formal Sanskrit Education (NFSE) programme, by setting up Non-Formal Sanskrit learning centres, in reputed institutions like Indian Institutes Technology, Ayurveda institutions, Modern Colleges and Universities.
Presidential awards for Sanskrit Language are awarded annually to 16 senior scholars and to 5 young scholars.
Financial Assistance for Publication, Reprint of rare Sanskrit books.
Ashtaadashi containing eighteen Projects for sustaining the growth of Sanskrit has been implemented.