As part of the Government of India’s initiative towards promoting regional languages in teaching and learning, a MHRD Sponsored National Seminar on the “Use of Technical Terminology in Political Science” was organized by the Department of Political Science, Dibrugarh University, from 21 to 22 December, 2016. While inaugurating the seminar Professor Mukut Hazarika, Dean, School of Education, Dibrugarh University underscored the importance of aseminar of this kind which concentrates on the use of technical terminology in social sciences. Dr. Dibyajyoti Dutta, Coordinator of the Seminar, in his Welcome Address provided a short history of the glossary making efforts in political science in Assamese language.
In his Keynote Address Dr. S.A. Ansari of the MHRD highlighted the importance of the proper use of scientific and technical terms in regional languages enlisted in the 8th schedule of the constitution. A book titled “Fundamental Glossary in Political Science-English-Hindi-Assamese” published by Commission on Scientific and Technica
l Terminology (CSTT) was also released in the programme. In his Book Release Address, Professor Ananda Bormudoi, a noted educationist of the State, lauded the effort of the Government of India to promote such a glossary which is the first of its kind in any Indian language. Er. J.S. Rawat of the MHRD underlined the need of using proper vernacular terms while speaking in regional languages instead of English terms.
The seminar on the first day had four technical sessions which were chaired by four eminent scholars in the field. Dr. Anushabdha, Associate Professor, Department of Hindi, Tezpur University spoke on the types and nature of technical terminologies and drew attention on the need and possibility of higher education in medicine and engineering and the like in regional languages. Dr. Jayanta Krishna Sarma, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Guwahati University underlined the difficulties in translating terms due to the possibility of distortion of meanings during translations. Elaborating the need of an extensive glossary in each discipline, Dr. Dwijen Deka, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Rangia College, Rangia noted that the use of the dictionary is not enough to justify the meaning of words. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Utpal Saikia, Assistant Professor, Kalabari College, Kalabari, underscored the importance of the use of appropriate words and their role in social development.
On the second day of the seminar, the speakers included Dr. Manoj Nath of Nagoan College, Dr. Rubul Patgiri of Dibrugarh University and Dr. Ranjit Singha of Dibru College. They deliberated on the use of technical terminology in higher education in the social sciences and forwarded a few proposals regarding the further enrichment of the glossary with a view to making it more holistic and inclusive. This was followed by a lively interaction by the participants from different educational institutions of Assam along with faculty members from Dibrugarh University. The initiative of Dr. N.K Pandey’s, Chairman CSTT, to encourage the usage of technical terminology in regional languages, especially in the north-east was highly appreciated.