Government directs AIIMS to go bi-lingual

This decision was earlier taken in September this year after a meeting of the official languages coordination committee at AIIMS, following which the authorities asked all the departments and sections to implement the bi-lingual format. Even the rubber stamps being used by the AIIMS officials have come under the scrutiny of the new scheme of things from the committee. However, some officials in the hospital have expressed their concern about incurring the extra expenditure to do so much paperwork.

"The institute is already using bilingual forms, some OPD papers and rubber stamps for promotion of Hindi and for the ease of patients who don't know English. There may be some departments using English forms and stamps, but the reasons behind this would be technical as names of some departments are too difficult to understand in Hindi for patients such as cardio-vascular, brain and nephrology departments," said Dr D K Sharma, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS. "We will abide by the ministry's directions and would soon convert all the stationary into Hindi and English. This is a good move and we should promote our national language," he said, as reported by India Today.

This new development come under the section 3(3) of the Official Language Act in which all resolutions, general orders, rules, notifications, agreements, administrative and other reports should be made available bilingually.

The list doesn't end here. It also includes stationery items, name plates, notice boards, forms, procedural literature, rubber-stamps, invitation cards etc. of all the ministries, departments including Indian offices located abroad..