Knowledge of Sanskrit must to build super computers: Minister

Kolkata, June 20 (IANS) Criticising a section of Indians for their over-reliance on English, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde on Wednesday said knowledge of Sanskrit will be essential to build super computers as it is the only language that can adapt to next general technology.

The minister said according to the modern-day scientists, the algorithms to be used as the coding language of super computers in future would be in Sanskrit.

"The modern-day scientists have said that to be able to understand the next generation computer language, knowing english would not be enough. One would have to learn Sanskrit. Whether we agree to this or not, Sanskrit is the only language that can adapt to the next generation technology.

"In order to build super computers, Sanskrit will be necessary," Hegde, the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said at a session organised by Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here.

He railed against the over-dependence on English in the country. "We are of the idea that English is everything. One cannot do well in life if he or she does not know English.

"While it might be somewhat true in the modern system, the future technologies would heavily depend on Sanskrit," he said.

The BJP MP from Karnataka's Uttara Kannada constituency also hailed the century-old ayurvedic practices in India and said the people would eventually have to shun allopathic drugs and get back to ayurveda or phytochemical-based drugs.

"The allopathic drugs are single molecular while the phytochemical-based drugs are multi-molecular and have no side effects. Sooner or later, we would have to go back to ayurvedic treatment and medicines. Tomorrow's pharmaceutical technology will be based on phytochemical molecular system.

"The pharmaceutical industry is big in India and right now it is wholly dependent upon the chemical molecular drugs. But the US' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved ayurvedic medicine as a form of holistic medicine."

Pointing out that phytochemical-based molecules have the capacity to revolutionise medical science if used properly, Hegde said the Central government is planning to upskill people to identify different kinds of active ingredients present in different plants.