Even as Aadhaar, India’s 12 digit unique-identity number of citizens continues to rake up debates, the word has now got a place in Oxford Dictionaries. The word Aadhaar (आधार) is now the Hindi Word of the Year 2017. The announcement was made by Oxford Dictionaries at the Jaipur Literature Festival on Saturday. The word Aadhaar has also become the first Oxford Dictionaries Hindi Word of the Year.
The ‘Hindi Word of the Year’ is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of attention and reflects the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past year, stated a press statement from Oxford University Press.
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Aadhaar| Source: Indian Express
The other shortlisted words that were in the race include Notebandi, Swachh, Vikaas, Yoga, ‘Mitron’, ‘Notebandi’, ‘Gau-Rakshak’ and Baahubali.
The announcement came as a part of a panel discussion with Ashok Vajpeyi, Hindi poet, literary and cultural critic, Pankaj Dubey, writer, producer and director, Anu Singh Choudhary, writer, translator and filmmaker and Chitra Mudgal, one of the leading literary figures of modern Hindi literature and others.
It was chosen by an advisory panel of language experts which include Kritika Agrawal, lawyer, polyglot and Indian language expert, Mallika Ghosh, senior editorial manager at Oxford University Press, India, Namita Gokhale, writer and publisher and Poonam Nigham Sahay, associate professor at Ranchi University.
Aadhaar | Source: Indian Express
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What is the meaning of Aadhaar?
The word Aadhaar means base foundation’ or ‘base’. The word was given for the 12-digit unique identification number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data.
Why was it the most important word in 2017?
Since its inception in 2009, the whole concept of having a biometric database of citizens has been a been an issue of contention. Several activists have questioned the idea citing breach of citizens’ privacy and data leak. Many litigations have been filed against it in the Supreme Court of which many are sub judice.
(With inputs from PTI)
