The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, was conferred the First Prize under the prestigious ‘Rajbhasha Kirti’ category for 2025-26, at a ceremony held alongside the 6th All India Official Language Conference and Hindi Diwas 2026 celebrations on Monday, September 14, 2026. The recognition honours DFS for its consistent efforts in promoting and implementing Hindi across its official functioning, in line with the constitutional mandate on the Official Language.
The award was part of a larger felicitation exercise at the conference, where the Union Home Minister presented the ‘Rajbhasha Gaurav’ and ‘Rajbhasha Kirti’ Awards for 2025-26 to a range of ministries, departments, public sector banks, and individuals for their contribution to the promotion of Hindi.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Award | Rajbhasha Kirti (First Prize) |
| Recipient | Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance |
| Award year | 2025-26 |
| Event | Hindi Diwas 2026 & 6th All India Official Language Conference |
| Venue | CIDCO Exhibition Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Date | Monday, September 14, 2026 |
| Presented by | Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah |
| Organising body | Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Event duration | Two days |
| Related honour | ‘Rajbhasha Utkrishtata Sammaan’ given separately to DARPG |
About the Event
The 6th All India Official Language Conference, held this year in Navi Mumbai, brought together senior officials, ministries, public sector organisations, banks, scholars, and literary figures to mark Hindi Diwas 2026. The two-day programme opened at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre, with the Maharashtra Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers, several Members of Parliament, and senior central government officials in attendance alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who served as the event’s chief guest.
Beyond the award ceremony, the conference featured:
- Launch of several publications, including a special commemorative issue of the Department of Official Language’s journal Rajbhasha Bharati, centred on the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’
- A dedicated session exploring the historical, literary, and cultural significance of ‘Vande Mataram’, with participation from figures connected to the song’s legacy and Hindi literary circles
- Exhibitions showcasing Maharashtra’s linguistic and literary traditions and their connection with Hindi
- Stalls and displays by various ministries, departments, banks, and institutions
Why the Award Matters for DFS
The Department of Financial Services oversees the functioning of public sector banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and the National Pension System. As a department handling high public interaction and large-scale citizen-facing communication, its performance in implementing the Official Language Policy carries particular significance — everyday communication, circulars, and public-facing material need to reach a wide, linguistically diverse population.
Winning the First Prize under Rajbhasha Kirti signals that DFS met the assessment criteria used by the Department of Official Language for effective use of Hindi in day-to-day official work, correspondence, and outreach during the qualifying period.
About the Rajbhasha Kirti and Rajbhasha Gaurav Awards
- Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar: Awarded annually to ministries, departments, and offices of the Union Government for outstanding implementation of the Official Language Policy, typically assessed across categories based on organisation size and function.
- Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar: A parallel category of awards recognising individual and institutional contributions to Hindi literature, journalism, and promotion outside routine government administration.
- Both awards are administered by the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs and presented each year during Hindi Diwas celebrations, usually alongside a national-level Official Language Conference hosted in a different city.
A Notable Sidebar: DARPG’s Special Honour
At the same event, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) was conferred a distinct honour — the ‘Rajbhasha Utkrishtata Sammaan’ — rather than the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar itself. This was because DARPG had already won the First Prize for two consecutive years (2023-24 and 2024-25); under the award’s rules, a department winning first prize twice in a row becomes ineligible for the same award the following year. In recognition of its sustained performance, DARPG was instead given this special commendation.
Significance of Hindi Diwas
Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14, commemorating the day in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, as the Official Language of the Union. The annual All India Official Language Conference, launched a few years ago, has since grown into the centrepiece event marking the occasion, rotating across Indian cities — earlier editions were held in cities such as New Delhi and Gandhinagar, with this year’s edition hosted in Navi Mumbai.
Frequently Asked Questions
DFS won the First Prize under the ‘Rajbhasha Kirti’ category for 2025-26.
It was presented at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on September 14, 2026, during Hindi Diwas and the 6th All India Official Language Conference.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, presented the Rajbhasha Gaurav and Rajbhasha Kirti Awards for 2025-26.
It recognises outstanding implementation of the Official Language Policy (promotion of Hindi in official work) by Union Government ministries, departments, and offices.
DFS, under the Ministry of Finance, oversees public sector banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and the National Pension System.
Yes. DARPG received the ‘Rajbhasha Utkrishtata Sammaan’ — a special honour given because it had already won the First Prize for two consecutive years and was therefore ineligible for the regular award this year.
Hindi Diwas marks the day in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi in the Devanagari script as India’s Official Language. It is observed annually on September 14.
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