Bhubaneswar, Sep 15: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has kicked off the observance of Hindi Pakhwada – 2025 with vibrant enthusiasm and a strong commitment to promoting the use of Hindi in official communication, officials said on Monday. The fortnight-long celebration, running from September 14 to 28, is part of a nationwide initiative to encourage the progressive use of Hindi as the Official Language and to deepen awareness of its cultural and administrative significance.

The inaugural ceremony was marked by the administration of the Rajbhasha Pledge by Parmeshwar Funkwal, General Manager of East Coast Railway, to officers and staff. In his address, Funkwal emphasized the importance of Hindi in enhancing administrative efficiency and fostering stronger connections with the public. He encouraged employees to integrate Hindi more actively into daily correspondence and highlighted the ease of doing so in the digital age, thanks to AI-based tools and transliterated technical terms.

To make the observance engaging and impactful, ECoR has lined up a series of competitions and cultural activities. These include Hindi spelling correction contests, slogan and message writing, story and poem recitations, paragraph analysis, technical seminars, quizzes, and a Kavi Sammelan. The events aim to inspire employees to embrace Hindi in their professional roles and celebrate its richness as a language.

Hindi Pakhwada is celebrated annually across Indian Railways in alignment with the Government of India’s policy to promote the use of Rajbhasha in official functioning. East Coast Railway’s spirited participation reflects its dedication to linguistic inclusivity and administrative excellence.