IIT Kanpur Hosts Successful Bharatiya Bhasha Parivar Symposium on Human and AI Cognition in Indian Languages

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, in collaboration with Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, successfully organized the Bharatiya Bhasha Parivar Symposium. This two-day event brought together scholars, researchers, and professionals from various fields to facilitate interdisciplinary discussions on Indian languages and their role in both human and machine cognition. The symposium aimed to bridge linguistics, psycholinguistics, computational sciences, education, and neuropsychology.

The event commenced with an inaugural session attended by Prof. Braj Bhushan, Deputy Director of IIT Kanpur, along with Prof. R. C. Sharma (Retd., University of Delhi) and Prof. Devpriya Kumar, Head of the Department of Cognitive Science at IIT Kanpur. Coordination of the symposium was overseen by Prof. Ark Verma and Prof. Himanshu Yadav from IIT Kanpur.

Titled “Bharatiya Bhasha Parivar: Understanding Human & Machine Cognition Through Indian Languages,” the symposium provided an academic platform for experts to analyze the cognitive complexities of Indian languages and their significance in artificial intelligence and education. The discussions were in alignment with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, highlighting future research directions and policy considerations while also addressing challenges faced by Indian language speakers both within India and in the global diaspora.

Distinguished experts led sessions covering a wide array of topics, including linguistic theory, language evolution, cognitive aspects of Indian languages, psycholinguistics in language processing and acquisition, challenges and advancements in NLP, Artificial Intelligence, and Large Language Models for Indian languages. Additionally, discussions explored pedagogical approaches, education policies, and language disorders such as aphasia and specific language impairment, along with potential therapeutic interventions in Indian languages.

Eminent scholars such as Prof. R. C. Sharma (Retd., University of Delhi), Prof. Ramesh Mishra (Hyderabad Central University), Prof. Dipti Misra Sharma (IIIT Hyderabad), Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya (IIT Kanpur), and Prof. Prathibha Karanth (IIT Kanpur) shared their insights. Their discussions focused on the integration of Indian languages into AI and NLP models, the implications of language policies on education, and the necessity of research collaborations to further linguistic and technological advancements.

Reflecting on the event’s impact, Prof. Ark Verma emphasized that the symposium served as a crucial step in advancing research on Indian languages. He noted that the discussions and collaborations resulting from the event would play a significant role in incorporating Indian languages into AI and cognitive science research. The event, he suggested, had initiated promising future possibilities in the field.

The symposium facilitated meaningful discussions expected to contribute to innovative research and technological advancements in language processing. With growing emphasis on linguistic diversity and its role in technology, IIT Kanpur took pride in hosting an event that significantly contributed to the future of Indian language research and its applications in both human and machine cognition.