Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi Chairs High-Level Hindi Consultative Committee Meeting to Review Official Language Policy
Distilled Policy Brief
- The high-level meeting of the Hindi Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Women and Child Development was chaired by Union Minister Smt. Annapurna Devi in New Delhi on October 27, 2026.
- The meeting reviewed the implementation of the Official Language Policy across various divisions, statutory bodies, and autonomous bodies under the ministry, noting significant improvements in bilingual digital communication and official correspondence.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
The Hindi Consultative Committee operates under the Ministry of Women and Child Development to review the implementation of the Official Language Policy.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Examine the role of official languages in bridging the gap between governance and citizens, ensuring that welfare policies are effectively communicated to marginalized sections.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
According to the Standing Committee on Information Technology's report on paid news, which of the following measures was specifically recommended?
- [A] The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should formulate a comprehensive legal definition of paid news and empower the Election Commission to enforce it during elections.
- [B] Media‑owner representatives should be included as members of a new single statutory regulator for print and electronic media.
- [C] Punitive powers of existing bodies like the Press Council of India should be reduced to promote self‑regulation.
- [D] The Election Commission should be stripped of any authority to intervene in paid‑news cases during elections.
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
The Committee urged the MoIB to create a legal definition of paid news and to empower the Election Commission to enforce it during elections. The other options contradict the Committee's recommendations, which call for regulators without media‑owner members, stronger punitive powers, and enhanced, not reduced, ECI authority.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.