During 1998-99 all possible efforts were made by the Dept. to further promote progressive use of Hindi in official work. Meetings of Official Language Implementation Committee were held regularly.

The Annual Report, Performance Budget, Demands for Grants, all Cabinet reports, monthly summary of important events of the Department and documents presented to the Standing Committee and Consultative Committee of Parliament, etc., were prepared bilingually. The Department also continued to bring out its quarterly news letter "Ocean News" bilingually.

The Department conducted an all India level scientific seminar in Hindi entitled "Bahudhattvik Pindika", on 25th August, 1998. The day-long seminar was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. About 19 scientists from various organisations/institutions presented papers in Hindi and disseminated information about ferromanganese nodules.

Under the Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Puraskar Yojana for implementation of official language in the ministries, as per the awards announced recently, the Department of Ocean Development bagged the second and third prize for the years, 1997-98 and 1996-97, respectively.

Hindi fortnight was organised in the Dept. from 1st to 14th Sept., 1998. During the fortnight, competitions in Hindi essay writing, typing, noting and drafting and debate were held and prizes distributed. The Department also organised a "Kavi Goshti" on 22nd Sept., 1998 in which about 8 poets of repute participated.

Dr. Madhusudhan Tripathi was awarded the first prize of Rs. 20,000/- for his book "Hind Mahasagar" under the "Mahasagar Vikas Vibhag Puraskar Yojana " for original Hindi Book writing. Stenographers and typists of the Department were imparted training in Hindi stenography and typewriting under the departmental arrangement.