Overview
Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ বাংলা আকাদেমি) is the official regulatory body of the Bengali language in India. It was founded on 20 May 1986 in Kolkata to function as the principal authority on the language in the state of West Bengal.
The Akademi is entrusted with the responsibility of reforming Bengali spelling and grammar, compiling dictionaries, encyclopedias and terminologies, and promoting Bengali language and culture. Its standards are widely accepted by the Governments of West Bengal and Tripura, as well as by a considerable number of private publishing houses and institutions, including the Oxford University Press and the Ramakrishna Mission.
The institute is housed in two separate buildings: the Nandan–Rabindra Sadan Complex in South Kolkata, and the Rabindra–Okakura Complex at Bidhannagar. Annadashankar Roy became the first President of the academy, and Sanat Kumar Chattopadhyay served as its first secretary.
Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi has extended its activities and programmes to different districts of West Bengal and to other states in India. In Kolkata, the organisation hosts programmes in collaboration with bodies such as the Bengal Literature Council and the National Academy of Letters.
References
- Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi, English Wikipedia.