Sikkim Signs BHASHINI MoU to Offer Services in Local Languages

The Government of Sikkim has formally entered the Centre's *BHASHINI* ecosystem, signing an MoU with the Digital India BHASHINI Division to make government services accessible in citizens' own languages. The agreement was signed during a *BHASHINI Rajyam State Engagement Workshop* in Gangtok, bringing together officials from the Department of Information Technology and language technology experts.

Officials said the initiative would initially focus on Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha, with plans to translate official communications, forms and eventually public services into these languages. Department of IT Secretary Bimal Rai called the move a way to ensure citizens' "own languages have a place in their own government," urging departments like Health, Education and Rural Development to actively participate.

BHASHINI CEO Amitabh Nag demonstrated the platform's live translation capabilities and encouraged local startups to build on it. Officials described a phased rollout, starting with limited services, with translation accuracy tested on real users before wider deployment, reflecting the sensitivity required in handling Sikkim's linguistic diversity.