Lok Sabha Question No. 500 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-02
Subject: Hindi as Official Language in UN
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: NEELAM SONKER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.500 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2015

## HINDI AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN UN

- † 500. SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to make Hindi as one of the Official Languages in the United Nations and the current status of the same; and
- (b) whether  India  has  assessed  the  expected  expenditure  to  be incurred  annually  once  Hindi  is  introduced  as  an  official language in the UN and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

- (a) The Government has been actively taking necessary measures for the introduction of Hindi as one of the Official Languages of the UN. A High level Committee under the Chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister was constituted on 26 February, 2003 followed by a sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of the Minister of State for External  Affairs  in  August,  2003  to  look  into  the  matter  and  take necessary measures. Keeping in view this objective, the 8th World Hindi Conference was organized in New York on 13 July 2007 and its inaugural  session  was  held  at  the  UN  Headquarters,  which  was attended  by  the  UN  Secretary  General  Mr.  Ban  Ki-moon  (10  World Hindi  Conferences have  been  held  till  date  all  over  the  world;  10 th World Hindi  Conference  was  organised  from  10  to  12  Sep  2015  in Bhopal).  One  of  the  recommendations  of  the  session  on  'Hindi  in Foreign  Policy'  (Videsh  Neeti  Mein  Hindi)  at  the  10 th   World  Hindi Conference was also that Hindi should be made a UN language. A Committee has been established under the Chairmanship of External Affairs Minister for compliance with this and other recommendations.  In  addition,  a  World  Hindi  Secretariat  has  been set up in Mauritius since 11 February 2008 to promote Hindi as an

international  language.  On  several  occasions,  Indian  leaders  have delivered  statements  at  the  UN  in  Hindi.  On  27  September  2014, Prime Minister addressed the 69th UN General Assembly Session at New York in Hindi. He also addressed the United Nations Sustainable  Development  Summit  at  New  York  in  Hindi  on  25 September,  2015.  On  01  October  2015,  External  Affairs  Minister delivered  her  statement  at  the  General  Debate  of  the  70th  UN General Assembly Session at New  York in Hindi. Necessary arrangements were  made  for  simultaneous  interpretation  of  these statements  in  English  by  the  Permanent  Mission  of  India  in  New York. The Government of India's sustained efforts have also ensured that  the  United  Nations  offers  its  programmes  on  the  UN  Radio Website in Hindi also. The Government continues to work steadfastly in popularizing Hindi and for the objective of Hindi being designated as a UN language.

(b) The total cost provisioned by UN on providing services in all the  current  UN  official  languages  (6  Languages)  is  approximately US$ 492 million for the current biennium 2014-2015.  Given that this cost is for six official languages for two years, the cost for provision of services in one UN language is approximately US$ 41 million per annum.  This  cost  is for provision of overall services  including documentation, translation, interpretation, verbatim reporting, printing  etc.  in  all  the  four  UN  Offices  viz.  New  York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.  In case of including Hindi as an official language, there would be additional cost for providing infrastructure/equipment and space for additional interpreters. Expenditure incurred towards introduction of a new official language would have to be borne by Member States based on the scale of assessment.

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