Promotion of Indian Languages in Higher Education: Prof. N.S. Rathore*

**Udaipur, The theme "Promotion of Indian and Modern Languages in Higher Education" was the focal point of an international conference that inspired many enthusiastic participants to engage both online and offline. Attendees presented papers, participated in technical sessions, panel discussions, one-on-one dialogues, author sessions, and creative activities. The conference aimed to explore the objectives of the theme through the contributions of enlightened intellectuals, custodians of intellectual taste, registered research scholars, and academics from the fields of languages and contemporary Indian literature.

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The organizing secretary, Dr. Jayashree Singh, along with her team members Dr. Renu Rathore, Dr. Shilpa Rathore, Dr. Ritu Tomar, Dr. Aparna Sharma, Dr. Madhavi Rathore, and Dr. Manisha Shekhawat, honored the chief guest, former Vice-Chancellor of MPUAT and MLSU, Udaipur, Prof. (Dr.) Narendra Singh Rathore. The distinguished guest was Prof. Dr. Sanjeev Bhanawat, editor of Communication Today - Media Quarterly - Bombay, and former head of the Centre for Mass Communication, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

Dr. Mahendra Singh Agariya, secretary of Vidya Pracharini Sabha, highlighted the importance of Sanskrit, calling it the most advanced language in the world and emphasizing that language is a crucial medium of expression.

In his inaugural address, Prof. Dr. Narendra Singh Rathore passionately spoke about the promotion of indigenous languages, the integration of regional languages in higher education, and their appreciation. Conference chairperson, Col. Prof. Shiv Singh Sarangdevot of BN University, reinforced the central themes discussed, emphasizing the importance of promoting Indian languages alongside modern languages in higher education.

Keynote speaker, Prof. Seema Malik, former Dean of PG Studies at MLSU, spoke on how literature influences and defines cultural identity. A panel discussion with distinguished speakers was held on the sub-topic of restoring the lost rights of indigenous languages to secure archival treasures of literature and reclaim the stability of heritage, social values, and social capital. Additionally, it was discussed how local community colleges in India can work towards enhancing students' potential and growth. Prof. Gopa Nayak from Pune discussed the vast tapestry of languages across India, highlighting regional languages as a form of identity.

Dr. Nidhi Raisinghani and Dr. Prachi Goswami focused on the translation of European languages into Indian languages. Dr. Rati Saxena from Kerala and Dr. Jamuna Krishnaraj from Chennai discussed the importance of Indian languages in indigenous literature. The panel discussion concluded with an open forum for both online and offline participants, where research scholars presented their papers on the conference theme. The first day concluded with these scholarly exchanges.