SCRIPTED IN STONE, WRITTEN IN POLICY

From temple walls to textbooks, Sanskrit's legacy moves from ancient inscriptions to modern policy—stirring pride, debate, and questions of inclusion.

- 

India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has rekindled debates about language, heritage, and inclusion. At the heart of this debate is Sanskrit - an ancient language of India that once traversed continents and now sits at the crossroads of educational reform. To understand the NEP's emphasis on Sanskrit and the concerns it raises, it helps to look at the global history and influence of Sanskrit. This historical lens reveals how Sanskrit has served as both a unifying medium of knowledge and a symbol of elite exclusivity. By examining Sanskrit's journey from ancient India to Southeast Asia and Europe, and then analyzing its role in the NEP alongside India's richly multilingual fabric, we can gain a nuanced perspective on whether promoting a classical language today is an inclusive revival or a hegemonic imposition ancient texts but also to apply its linguistic insights to new fields. The structural clarity of Sanskrit grammar has drawn interest in computer science and AI.

Beyond academia, Sanskrit lives on in spiritual and cultural spheres. The global rise of yoga and Ayurveda has carried many Sanskrit terms into the international lexicon. Chanting Sanskrit mantras or studying texts like the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads has become common in yoga studios and meditation centers worldwide.