Free language CDs now a reality

All 22 Indian language fonts would be available for the public to download

for free in the next six months. Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications and

Infor-mation Technology (MC&IT) informed this at the release of free CD

containing collection of Hindi software tools and fonts. The release was part of

a national initiative by the Department of Information Technology, MC&IT to

proliferate the use of Indian languages in IT.

While launching the CD and the website Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, National

Advis-ory Council recalled that when late Rajiv Gandhi decided to develop this

kind of indige-nous technology most of the people said that it would not be

possible and some felt that it was not necessary. Facing all the impediments

that came in the way, today CDAC has successfully come out with the language

CDs.

Gandhi added that commu-nicating in one's own mother tongue would be easier

than any other medium of commu-nication. "One can sharpen his knowledge in

his mother ton-gue. Therefore, it is necessary to make available the facilities

of software tools of all Indian languages," she opined.

Referring to the recent en-actment of Right to Informa-tion Act, Gandhi said

that it is a revolutionary step and Information Technology will play a greater

role to achieve.

Speaking on the occasion, Maran said that it had always saddened him to see

local language fonts available for free in countries like China, Japan, Korea,

etc, while India still lagged behind in local language computing.

"In India only five percent of the population speak and write in English

while the rest 95 percent communicate in their mother tongue. We were talking of

broad band and taking computer to villages, there-fore it is necessary to

develop CDs in all the Indian lang-uages," he opined.

CyberMedia News


New Delhi