‘Sanskrit Will Enable Talking Computer In Future’: Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal

Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank recently said that according to NASA, only Sanskrit will enable a ‘walking-talking computer’ in future. Pokhriyal was quoted by news agency ANI while he was addressing a gathering of IIT Bombay students on Sunday.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal: NASA is saying that in near future if a walking-talking computer will live, then it'll only be possible because of Sanskrit. NASA is saying this because it's a scientific language in which words are written exactly the way they are spoken" (10.8.19) pic.twitter.com/XmfBnsj6xL

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2019

In the aftermath of Pokhriyal’s statement, Ministry of HRD released a statement that read, “The Minister was quoted out of context as he was referring to the paper of NASA scientist Rick Briggs published in the American Society of AI journal.”

HRD Ministry: Through the convocation address, Minister was encouraging IIT students to stay back in India & help in strengthening the knowledge economy here. He stated that India has always been a Vishwaguru, and the ancient Indian texts are repositories of wisdom and knowledge. https://t.co/AmN0taLVh1

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2019

The press release was referring to the NASA scientist’s work in AI Magazine, titled ‘Knowledge Representation in Sanskrit and Artificial Intelligence.’ Although in his paper Rick Briggs said that a natural language can serve as an artificial language as well, nowhere did he claim that Sanskrit is the only language suitable for AI.

In the same speech, Pokhriyal also mentioned Aryabhata, Charaka, Sushruta, Ayurveda, and Yoga as Indian leaders in science.

Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank': Who did research on atoms & molecules? The one who researched on atoms and molecules, discovered them, was Charak Rishi. (10.8.19) https://t.co/d0yMBLnVwz

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2019

The minister’s statement was criticised on social media. A twitter user wrote, “Another HRD from the esteemed WhatsApp University…Pokhriyal is poking.”

Another HRD from the esteemed Whats App University…Pokhriyal is poking��

— Vikcey�� (@Vikki50881881) August 11, 2019

Our HRD ministers in modi government all are real GEMS, smriti irani, now pokhriyal

— raghavan (@BhanuRaghavan) August 11, 2019

Pokhriyal is famous for comparing mythology with scientific achievements. In 2014 the BJP MP had told the Parliament that Sage Kanad had conducted a nuclear test lakhs of years ago.