The Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Act, 1996
The Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Act, 1996 is an Act of the Parliament of India that established the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV) — an international university aimed at promoting and developing the Hindi language in India and abroad.
🏛️ Full Name of the Act:
The Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Act, 1996 (Act No. 3 of 1997)
(Enacted by Parliament on 8 January 1997, but dated 11 December 1996)
🎯 Objective of the Act:
To establish and incorporate a national-level central university for the promotion, development, and advancement of the Hindi language and its literature, as well as to integrate Hindi with other Indian and international languages and cultures.
📌 Key Features of the Act:
1. Establishment of the University:
The Act provides for the establishment of a central university named:
Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya
Located at Wardha, Maharashtra.
It is a central university, funded and regulated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Education (earlier MHRD).
2. Vision and Inspiration:
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of promoting Hindi as a national and international language of communication and education.
Gandhi believed Hindi should become a bridge language for India's diverse linguistic population.
3. Objectives of the University (As per Section 4 of the Act):
The main aims are:
To promote and develop Hindi as a national and international language.
To undertake teaching, research, and training in Hindi and its comparative studies with other Indian and foreign languages.
To spread knowledge of Indian culture, civilization, values, and thought through Hindi.
To function as a nodal agency for coordination and dissemination of information in Hindi.
To foster interdisciplinary and comparative studies involving Hindi and other languages and literatures.
To produce materials and research in Hindi for various subjects and disciplines.
4. Powers and Functions of the University (Section 5):
The university is empowered to:
Provide instruction, research, and extension services in Hindi.
Confer degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic distinctions.
Institute professorships, readerships, lectureships, and other academic positions.
Establish campuses and centres in India and abroad.
Collaborate with other universities, institutions, and organizations.
Publish books, journals, and research materials in Hindi.
5. Authorities of the University:
Includes:
Court – Supreme authority
Executive Council – Main executive body
Academic Council – Principal academic authority
Board of Studies
Finance Committee
These bodies govern academic, financial, and administrative decisions.
6. Visitor of the University:
The President of India is the Visitor, as in the case of all central universities.
The Visitor can call for reports, inspect the university, and has powers to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
7. Medium of Instruction:
The primary medium is Hindi, with provisions to use other languages as necessary for teaching and research.
🏫 Present-Day Status of MGAHV:
Headquartered in Wardha, Maharashtra, with satellite campuses in Allahabad, Kolkata, Shillong, and Hyderabad.
Offers undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and diploma programs.
Plays a major role in spreading Hindi through international collaborations.
📚 Academic Contributions:
Focus areas include:
Comparative Literature
Translation Studies
Language Technology in Hindi
Culture and Civilizational Studies
Diaspora and Global Hindi
🧾 Legal Citation:
Act No. 3 of 1997
Passed by Parliament under Entry 63 of the Union List (related to central universities)
A PDF of the Act
A summary table
Key sections/clauses explained in plain language. Do write to us if you need any further assistance.
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