Central University of Punjab, Bathinda signs MoU with Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore

Bathinda, September 17, 2021: Under the dynamic leadership of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra Prasad Tiwari and initiative of Dept. of Punjab, the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore to enhance academic interchange between the two institutions to promote teaching and research. This agreement marks the beginning of an important partnership between these two national institutions in promoting cooperation in the field of education, innovation, and research on Indian languages.

Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore is a premier Institution of the Ministry of Education, Government of India (GOI), established to coordinate and work towards the development of Indian languages by assisting the GOI and the State Governments in language-related matters; and by conducting workshops, seminars, training programmes, publication of books and monographs and research.

During the signing ceremony held virtually, Shri Kanwal Pal Singh Mundra, Registrar, CUPB and Dr. Narayan Chaudhary, Assistant Director, CIIL, signed the pact in the gracious presence of Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, CUPB Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Shailendra Mohan, Director, CIIL. Earlier to this, Dr. Tariq Khan, Dr. Narayan Chaudhary, and Dr. Pankaj Dwivedi shared details related to various schemes running at CIIL such as National Translation Mission (NTM), Linguistic Data Consortium of Indian Languages (LDC-IL), National Testing Service (NTS) of India, etc.

Prof.  Raghavendra Prasad Tiwari, Vice Chancellor, CUPB, in his address, stated that this would prove to be a landmark agreement b/w these two organizations in the field of education and research.  He said that language is not only a means of communication but also helps us to understand the knowledge, folklore, culture, and history of a society. Therefore, preserving and promoting Indian languages is essential for preserving India's rich heritage. He motivated various departments of the University like Punjabi Department, Hindi Department, English Department, Computer Science and Technology Department and Computational Sciences Department to work diligently and make actualize the vision of this agreement.

Prof. Shailendra Mohan, Director, CIIL, said that CIIL is the nodal agency for linguistic policies which works tirelessly to collect and promote the use of India's various languages and dialects to enhance India's multilingual heritage. This agreement will enable faculty and researchers of both institutions to do significant work in the field of study and translation of Punjabi and other regional languages and dialects of the region.

On this occasion, Prof.  Zameerpal Kaur, Dean, School of Languages, Literature and Culture and Head, Department of Punjabi, said that this MoU is valid for three years duration during which teachers and researchers of both the institutes would be able to draw up joint research work, be a part of joint academic activities, and take advantage of each other's facilities like library, language laboratories, seminar halls etc. At the end of the program, Shri Kanwal Pal Singh Mundra, CUPB Registrar, extended the formal vote of thanks.