Sitharaman Unveils AI Tool to Make Sanskrit Appealing

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the AI-based Large Language Model called the *Sanskrit Heritage Model* at the Madras Sanskrit College, positioning it as a fresh approach to teaching an ancient language.

Speaking at the event, Sitharaman argued that language learning should not be reduced to memorising grammatical rules but should instead draw learners toward the richness of great literature. She warned against pedagogical tools that are, in her words, *"dry as bone"*, insisting that Sanskrit instruction needs an element of appeal - or as she put it, the right *"spice"* - to attract new learners.

She also drew a comparison between the vast body of critical and appreciative scholarship built around William Shakespeare and the comparatively limited accessible analytical work available on the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. This gap, she suggested, underscores the need for wider critical engagement with Indian classical literature, so that Sanskrit's literary heritage receives the same scholarly attention and popular accessibility enjoyed by global literary icons.