RE: [Y-Indology] palm leafs in Tamil and other languages

[Guest guest]

To A. Thasarathan: The proposal below was received by us from Center for

Applied Research in Indic Technologies (CARIT) at Anna University. We are

currently finalizing a grant for them. It contains some aspects of what you

are interested in, even though they propose to use the digitized texts in

specific research. If you wish to learn more about this project, please feel

to contact me off-list. We could be doing more similar projects spread

across India.

 

Rajiv Malhotra

The Infinity Foundation

53 White Oak Drive

Princeton, NJ 08540

www.infinityfoundation.com

 

BEGIN PROPOSAL

 

Center for Applied Research in Indic Technologies

(CARIT)

 

 

1. Objectives :

 

* Digitising of Indic literature in various languages and using ICT based

methodologies including context-sensitive concept based digital library

searches to cull out the engineering and technological solutions embedded in

these works.

* Exploring the 'psychoacoustics' of speech and music as detailed in Indic

literature and thereby furthering research in the frontier areas such as

Cognitive Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Computational Neurosciences.

* Deploying multiple grammatical systems in every Indian language including

Sanskrit to facilitate new interpretations of Indic literature which could

provide fresh directions in the areas of metallurgy, space sciences,

mathematical sciences and bio-technology.

* To collaborate with resource centers in several Indian languages to

further the above objectives.

 

2. Phase I (I year)

 

A vast body of Indic literature is in Sanskrit. It is rather unfortunate

that there is a wide gap between those who know Sanskrit and those who know

science and technology. The CARIT at Anna University aims at bridging this

gap.

 

In the Phase I CARIT proposes

 

* To spread the awareness of the importance of Sanskrit learning in the

minds of young engineers and scientists through periodic Spoken Sanskrit

Courses offered at no cost. This is as per the guidelines specified by the

University Grants Commission.

* To web-enable the spoken Sanskrit courses to facilitate anytime and

anywhere learning.

 

Apart from the 'Spoken Sanskrit Courses' CARIT would explore the possible

collaborations with the Supercomputer Education Research Center (SERC),

IISc., Bangalore and the Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Viswa Mahavidyalaya

(Deemed University), Kancheepuram on 'Digital Library' and 'Digitising of

the Sanskrit Manuscripts'.

 

The center would be set-up with a cost of Rs. 50 Lakhs and two research

associates.

 

 

 

3. Phase II (II and III Years)

 

The manuscripts would be digitized in this phase and an appropriate

Information Architecture depending on the language of the literature would

be designed and implemented.

 

The facility would be thrown open for researchers in various disciplines

across the world thus giving an impetus to the accessibility of Indic

literature. The team at Anna University would work on the stated objectives.

A recurring expenditure of Rs. 20 Lakhs per annum is envisaged in this

phase.

 

END PROPOSAL