Bhasha Bandhu Hackathon: A Revolutionary Step Toward Bridging Language Barriers in India’s Judiciary

Under
the
aegis
of
the

National
Language
Technology
Mission
(NLTM),
the
Bhasha
Bandhu
Hackathon
has
emerged
as
a
beacon
of
innovation
and
inclusivity,
addressing
India’s
linguistic
challenges
in
its
legal
framework.
Hosted
at
the

Global
Skills
Park
Auditorium
in
Bhopal,
this
transformative
event
marked
a
significant
milestone
in
leveraging
AI-driven
solutions
to
make
justice
accessible
to
all,
irrespective
of
language
or
location.
 

(L-R)
Mr.
Amul
Kumar,
Mr.
Balendu
Sharma,
Mr.
Girish
Sharma,
Mr.
Raghuraj
Rajendran
&
Mr.
Amitabh
Nag
at
Bhasha
Bandhu
launch,
Bhopal
 

A
Collaborative
Vision
Launched
by
Bhashini
in
collaboration
with
Microsoft,
presented
by
ID8NXT,
and
powered
by
ID8DEVHUB,
the
hackathon
embodies
a
collective
commitment
to
inclusivity
through
technological
advancements.
It
aims
to
dismantle
language
barriers
in
India’s
judiciary,
creating
a
future
where
justice
is
not
only
delayed
but
also
made
seamless
through
AI
and
natural
language
processing
(NLP).
 

The
event
followed
a
two-phase
launch—an
online
soft
launch
on
January
23,
2025,
which
drew
over

1,347
viewers,
and
an
in-person
physical
launch
on
January
24,
2025,
with
over

500
registered
participants.
From
technologists
and
legal
experts
to
policymakers
and
academic
innovators,
the
hackathon
united
a
vibrant
community
driven
by
the
shared
mission
of
transforming
India’s
judicial
landscape.
 

Powerful
Opening
Addresses

Shri
Amitabh
Nag,
CEO
of
the
Digital
India
Bhashini
Division
(DIBD),
delivered
an
inspiring
keynote
at
the
soft
launch,
emphasizing
the
pressing
need
to
bridge
language
barriers
in
legal
systems.
 

“Justice
should
be
universal,
transcending
linguistic
and
regional
divides.
The
Bhasha
Bandhu
Hackathon
provides
a
platform
for
innovation
that
will
redefine
accessibility
and
inclusivity
in
our
judiciary,”
said

Shri
Amitabh
Nag.
 

Anand
Raman,
Partner
Director
for
Microsoft
AI
Platforms,
echoed
this
sentiment,
urging
participants
to
focus
on
user-centric
solutions:
 

“Build
with
empathy,
simplicity,
and
scalability
in
mind.
Let
your
solutions
be
the
bridge
between
citizens
and
justice,”
he
said,
highlighting
Microsoft’s
commitment
to
leveraging
cutting-edge
AI
to
serve
diverse
linguistic
communities.

Key
Highlights

Inaugural
Lamp-Lighting
Ceremony
The
physical
launch
began
with
a
ceremonial
lamp-lighting
by
dignitaries,
symbolizing
hope
and
enlightenment.
This
was
followed
by
a
group
photograph
capturing
the
unity
and
enthusiasm
that
would
define
the
event’s
spirit.
 

Showcasing
AI
for
Justice
The
hackathon
featured
live
demonstrations
of
Bhashini
and
Microsoft’s
AI-powered
tools,
including
machine
translation,
speech
recognition,
and
text-to-speech
technologies.
These
tools
are
designed
to
enable
seamless
multilingual
interactions,
empowering
participants
to
develop
pioneering
solutions
for
India’s
judiciary.
 

Amul
Kumar,
representing
Microsoft,
conducted
an
engaging
session
on
the
practical
applications
of
AI
in
bridging
linguistic
gaps,
offering
insights
into
the
transformative
potential
of
these
technologies.
 

Innovative
Problem
Statements
for
Real-World
Impact
Participants
were
challenged
to
address
four
key
areas
of
need:

• 
  
  
  Mediation
  Awareness:
  Developing
  gamified
  apps
  to
  promote
  mediation
  as
  an
  alternative
  dispute
  resolution
  mechanism.

• 
  
  
  Simplified
  Legal
  Filings:
  Innovating
  speech-to-text
  tools
  to
  simplify
  legal
  form
  submissions
  in
  regional
  languages.

• 
  
  
  Legal
  Literacy
  Ecosystem:
  Building
  multilingual
  platforms
  to
  educate
  citizens
  about
  their
  rights
  and
  legal
  processes.

• 
  
  
  Rural
  Outreach:
  Expanding
  access
  to
  digital
  legal
  platforms
  for
  rural
  and
  underserved
  communities.
   

The
event
was
hosted
by

Stanford
Dsouza
and
Sarthak
Jain
from
ID8NXT,
leading
interactive
sessions
to
spark
innovative
thinking
among
participants.
The
collaborative
spirit
was
palpable
as
developers,
legal
experts,
and
policymakers
came
together
to
co-create
solutions
that
will
redefine
India’s
legal
landscape.
 

Attul
Sreenath,
CEO
of
ID8NXT,
added,

“The
Bhasha
Bandhu
Hackathon
is
not
just
about
technology;
it’s
about
transforming
lives
by
ensuring
justice
speaks
in
every
language.
Together,
we
are
helping
shape
a
new
era
for
India’s
judiciary.”

A
historic
moment
and
a
milestone

“Participating
in
the
Bhasha
Bandhu
Hackathon
is
a
unique
opportunity
to
not
only
innovate
but
also
contribute
to
a
cause
that
will
shape
the
future
of
India’s
judiciary.
I
encourage
all
participants
to
push
the
boundaries
of
technology
and
come
out
as
champions,
creating
solutions
that
will
truly
make
justice
accessible
to
everyone,”

Raghuraj
Rajendran,
Secretary,
Technical
Education,
Skill
Development,
and
Employment,
Government
of
Madhya
Pradesh.
 

The
Bhasha
Bandhu
Hackathon
is
more
than
an
event;
it
is
a
movement
to
democratize
access
to
justice.
The
solutions
developed
during
this
initiative
will
have
a
far-reaching
impact,
addressing
linguistic
and
digital
divides
that
hinder
legal
access
for
millions
of
Indians.
 

With
over
1,000
AI-trained
language
models
and
tools
provided
by
Bhashini
and
Microsoft,
participants
are
empowered
to
create
prototypes
that
enable
real-time
translations,
legal
literacy
platforms,
and
voice-to-text
aids.
 

“Bhashini’s
efforts
are
contributing
towards
an
AI
powered
and
empowered
Bharat
where
AI
is
accessible
to
every
voice
in
every
language,”
said
a
representative
from
Microsoft
in
his
address.
 

As
the
hackathon
progresses
toward
its
March
2025
goal
of
10,000+
registrations,
1,000+
submissions,
and
100+
prototypes,
it
is
set
to
redefine
legal
accessibility
for
generations
to
come.
 

For
more
details
and
updates,
visit

www.bhashabandhu.com.