Use AI to develop smart tools for regional languages: Expert

Central Institute of Indian Languages celebrates 56th Foundation Day with dignitaries, scholars, and launch of online book portal.

The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru on Thursday celebrated its 56th Foundation Day with an event held at the preview theatre of the institute. Dignitaries and scholars from the realm of language and linguistics graced the occasion.

The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp followed by a welcome address and opening remarks by Shailendra Mohan, director, CIIL. Prof. Mohan highlighted the institute’s remarkable achievements and contributions in language preservation, research, and education spanning 56 years.

Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary, Central Ministry of Education, who presided over the event, launched CIIL’s online book portal during the event. She praised CIIL’s diverse initiatives and successful endeavours, wishing them success with their new online book store launch and emphasising the importance of effective marketing for the initiative.

Girish Nath Jha, Chairman, Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology, New Delhi, who was the Chief Guest, delivered a keynote address on ‘Recent Trends in Natural Language Processing in Context of Large Language Models’. He highlighted the importance of Artificial Intelligence in the building of smart and efficient tools and technologies for regional languages.

He also stressed the significance of extensive linguistic studies in India’s multilingual context, noting their potential to enhance student employability in linguistics disciplines.

Yuvraj Malik, director, National Book Trust, who was the guest of honour, delivered a talk on “Knowledge Text in Indian Languages: From Production to Distribution.” Col. Malick emphasised upon the roles of authors, readers, and publishers in depth for meaningful knowledge production and distribution.

He underlined the importance of a comprehensive SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and a strategic 5P marketing approach (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People) for successful knowledge dissemination, stressing quality over quantity, and the necessity of collaboration with states to reach grassroots levels.