NEW DELHI: Ahead of an upcoming event on February 26 that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugarate 550 Amrit Bharat stations, an announcement has been made, directing all zonal public relations officers to ensure that plaques for the inaugration are designed in Sanskirt, alongside the standard Hindi, English and other local languages. The Amrit Bharat scheme is a Rs 41,000 crore initiative aimed at making substantive improvements to railway stations, including amneties such as free W-Fi and enhanced accesibility features in the form of elevators and escalators.   

Promoting and preserving culture 

As per official Railways sources quoted in a Free Press Journal report, the intiative to make use of Sanskrit aligns with the “commitment to preserve and promote India's rich cultural and linguistic tapestry.” This is reportedly not the first time that such an intiative has been undertaken, indicating that there could be a move towards making the use of Sanskrit a common practice in regard to official event plaques. 

The use of such plaques for the Amrit Bharat scheme is noteworthy as the scheme marks “a new era for Indian Railways, where functionality converges seamlessly with cultural preservation, creating a travel experience that is not only efficient but also reflective of India's rich heritage,” said a senior railways official.