The Hindu : National : Hindi software fonts released

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Tuesday, Jun 21, 2005

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National

Hindi software fonts released

Special Correspondent

Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

ANOTHER MILESTONE: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran hold compact discs of Hindi software tools and fonts at the launch of Hindi Software and Tools Website in New Delhi on Monday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, released here on Monday a set of Hindi software tools and fonts in compact disc (CD) for free distribution. Ms. Gandhi recalled that the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), which is pioneering the move to compile and polish fonts and tools in all the recognised Indian languages, was set up on the initiative of Rajiv Gandhi after the U.S. denied the Cray computer (supercomputer).

Indian supercomputer `Param' was C-DAC's answer to the Cray computer though many had cautioned Rajiv Gandhi against embarking on such an endeavour. Despite hurdles the C-DAC has come out language CDs in Tamil and Hindi and it was poised to release CDs in Punjabi.

"In all languages"

Union Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who initiated the concept of free distribution of CDs in all the scheduled languages, pointed out that only five per cent of the people of the country could speak and write in English and the rest communicated in local languages. "When we are talking of broadband and taking computer to villages, it is necessary to develop CDs in all Indian Languages. We will make all the 22 Indian language fonts free to all," he said. The idea of launching the website www.ildc.gov.in with free downloads was in consonance with the principles adopted by other countries such as Japan, Korea and China. Mr. Maran recalled the struggle in the 1980s for developing a font.

Editor of Dainik Hindustan Mrinal Pandey hoped that the initiative would increase the citizen-government interface and contribute to further democratisation of society.

Senior journalists from other leading Hindi newspapers, weeklies and television channels were presented with the CDs. Seats earmarked for senior Union Ministers from the Hindi heartland such as Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan were, however, vacant. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Minister for NRI Affairs Jagdish Tytler and first time MPs, including Sachin Pilot, were among the audience. Minister of State for Communications Shakeel Ahmed and two experts in the field of language computing — Rajeev Sangal and R.M.K. Sinha were also present.

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