CIIL Launches App to Promote Learning of 22 Indian Languages

Fast Summary:

• CIIL Director Shailendra Mohan announced two key initiatives: a mobile app for learning 22 Indian languages, with plans for expansion to additional mother tongues, and an AI-based language assessment system for proficiency testing across India.
• On CIIL’s 57th foundation day, technological advancements such as machine translation tools and multilingual corpora (accessible via medha.ciil.org) were showcased.
• Translation of ‘The Constitution of India’ into 11 Indian languages underscores CIIL’s commitment to linguistic diversity.
• Udaya Narayana Singh emphasized the need for indigenous linguistic data in AI, NLP, and speech technology during his keynote address. He called for efforts towards enriching archives of endangered languages and creative literature writing.
• Recommendations included creating a Museum of Voices to preserve tribal dialects, introducing culturally sensitive AI applications, voice interfaces for non-literate users, multilingual diagnostic mental health tools targeting youths, and strengthening education in minority languages aligned with NEP-2020.
• Areas like forensic linguistics and legal language studies were highlighted as underexplored fields requiring attention within the next two decades.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
these developments by CIIL point toward significant strides in promoting India’s linguistic diversity through technology-driven interventions. The launch of the mobile app could increase accessibility to regional language learning while aligning with NEP’s vision to foster multilingualism in education systems-a promising move given India’s vast cultural richness. Similarly,the proposed AI-based assessment system may standardize benchmarks across different regions but requires careful implementation considering India’s varied socio-linguistic contexts.Initiatives discussed during the foundation day also reflect forward-looking strategies linking conventional knowledge preservation with digital advancement-such as voice-based interfaces tailored for non-literate populations or mental health diagnostics rooted in cultural nuances-that could directly benefit marginalized communities if scaled effectively.

However, achieving these aspirations hinges on robust funding support alongside collaborative efforts involving linguists from academia and policymakers alike-a pivotal step toward preserving endangered dialects while integrating them into futuristic applications like speech tech or forensic linguistics research.

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