National Translation Mission

National Translation Mission is a Government of India initiative to make knowledge texts accessible, in all Indian languages listed in the VIII schedule of the Constitution, through translation. NTM was set up on the recommendation of the National Knowledge Commission. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has designated Central Institute of Indian Languages as the nodal organization for the operationalization of NTM.
Origins.
English, the primary medium of higher education in India, remains inaccessible to even the literate majority of the country. Therefore, there is an urgent need to translate material in all fields like literary, technical, scientific and business etc. so that such material is accessible to a wide range of different language speaking population across the country. Translation, thus, is seen not just as an instrument of democratizing and secularizing knowledge, but also of empowering languages and speech communities.
NTM intends to establish translation as an industry in the country. Its main objectives include generation of translation tools such as dictionaries and thesauri; development of software for translation, memory, etc.; promotion of machine translation and machine aided translation; translator education through orientation programs & courses; fellowships & grants for research projects, etc. Bringing visibility to translators and translation activities by organizing book launches for translations; instituting prizes and fellowships; organizing Regional Festivals of Translation; book exhibitions, etc. also are part of the activities of NTM.
Project Advisory Committee (NTM-PAC) of NTM is the highest decision making body of NTM. It is a committee of 25 members representing various sections of the academic community, ministerial bodies and publishing houses related to translation. NTM-PAC is supported by four sub-committees in matters related to copyrights and legal matters; selecting knowledge texts; fixing rates for translators, copy editors etc.; and Grant in Aid schemes of NTM.
NTM Website in 23 languages.
NTM is in the process of establishing itself as the clearing house of all translation related activities in the country. Interaction with the public is a requisite and NTM has developed its website (www.ntm.org.in) in 23 languages for the purpose. NTM website introduces the Mission, its objectives, beneficiaries, and structure etc. Updates on list of books selected for translation, experts consulted, announcement of translation assignments etc. are available for the public here. The Discussion Forum facilitates the users to discuss various topics like the books selected for translation in a subject, an existing translation, and terminology issues in Indian languages etc.""
Translation & Publication of Pedagogic Material.
105 titles have been approved for translations in 21 disciplines (Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, History, Law, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Zoology) so far.
To know more about the books taken up for translation, visit - www.ntm.org.in
NTM Databases.
NTM also maintains National Register of Translators(NRT) through its website. NRT is a databank wherein translators register themselves online. NRT is a searchable directory of translators, evaluators and discipline experts with classified information on profession, experience, languages known and expertise in translation, etc.
Lists of the most prescribed texts in Indian universities in various disciplines are generated out of the Knowledge Text Module, another major facet of NTM-databases. Two searchable database components have been created under it: Indian Universities Database and Knowledge Text Database. Indian Universities Database furnishes information on courses, syllabi and textbooks etc. of over 350 Union Grants Commission (UGC) accredited universities and institutions. Knowledge Text Database provides complete details of the prescribed books. When made public, this would become one of the first state initiatives to provide information about all the universities/institutions and courses which can be accessed through a single window. It would help scholars and academicians from various regions to access the latest information on courses and syllabi of any university/institution of the country. University Boards can review the course details and syllabi structure of other universities before revising their curriculum. This may help in creating parity among universities of rural and urban regions.
NTM-databases, created in Microsoft SQL 2005, can contain a maximum of 2^31 objects and span multiple Operating System-level files with a maximum file size of 220 Terabyte. Control mechanisms have been incorporated to the database for concurrent access to shared data, for ensuring data integrity. NTM aims to increase the usability of the databases by making them both as web and standalone applications.
Translation Tools.
Basic Bilingual Dictionaries.
The bilingual dictionaries are modelled after the hugely popular Longman Corpus Network - based Basic English-English dictionary. Six bilingual dictionaries developed by the NTM in collaboration Pearson Education, India were launched on 10 March 2012.
The dictionaries are the first publications from the NTM stable. In fact, the project had begun before the coming of NTM. Dorling Kindersley India Pvt Ltd (publishing as Pearson Education) and the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) had agreed to develop bilingual dictionaries in 11 languages. The work started in 2006. Later when NTM was launched in the year 2008, the lexical build activities were merged with NTM. The dictionaries are modeled on the British National Corpus based hugely popular Longman Basic English Dictionary. Following are the dictionaries that were launched:(listed alphabetically)
The dictionaries can be bought from popular online retailers like www.flipkart.com, www.homeshop18.com, www.pearson.vrvbookshop.com etc. or book sellers across the country.
Work is under progress in other Indian languages - Assamese, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Konkani, Maithili, Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Telugu, and Urdu.
Bilingual e-dictionaries.
e-dictionaries of NTM are based on ‘Longman Advanced Bilingual Framework’(LABF). LABF Dataset will be used through the Dictionary Production System(DPS), originally developed by Longman and marketed by Ingenierie Diffusion Multimedia(IDM), France. The NTM-Longman e-dictionary deals with 338,000 words, phrases and meanings; 78,000 head entries, 5,400 encyclopaedic entries, 54,000 phrases, over 515,000 examples and 26,000 synonyms, antonyms and related words.
Machine Translation.
An English-Kannada Machine Translation(MT) package which bids to break new ground on the MT scene in India is being developed under NTM. The main aim of this project is to automate the translation of a given English sentence into Kannada. This Package is divided into 3 main modules– Parallel Aligned Corpora, Digitization of Source Language(SL) resources and Architecture. The Architecture is divided into 8 modules and implemented using Java with Netbeans Integrated Development Environment(IDE). The front end is designed using Swings and back-end SQL. The dictionary is put into action using random access file. Since Hash tables are particularly efficient when the maximum number of entries can be predicted, this technique is used to accomplish searching. Collection classes are used as data storage structures.
NTM has been interacting with several teams (like C-DAC, Pune, Noida, Mumbai; LTRC, ILMT, EILMT, Anusaaraka, Shakti—all at IIIT, Hyderabad) engaged in developing Machine Translation software to explore the extent to which the MT research and NTM can interface for mutual benefit.
Dictionary of Translation Studies.
Dictionary of Translation Studies being prepared by NTM intends to serve as a companion to students and scholars interested in and associated with the discipline of Translation Studies. It is a compilation of the technically charged terms used in the discipline. It endeavours to be a comprehensive dictionary, exhausting the technical terms used in Indian as well as western discourse of translation and also the terms used in the sub-domains of Translation Studies like Interpreting, Machine Translation, etc.
Training and Certification of Translators.
With an aim to train and orient translators, NTM has been organising 3 weeks Intensive Training Programme – ‘Introduction to Translation’. Translation theoreticians & academicians, eminent translators, linguists and language scholars from across the country have been delivering talks on various theoretical and practical aspects of translation. All the details are available in NTM website
NTM has also started piloting the methods and means of its nationwide Certification of Translators Programme. The certification module is being developed in collaboration with the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) of the Quality Council of India (QCI) along the lines of the international standards set for Personnel Certification. Training of evaluators will be a major component of the Certification of Translators Programme as a new system of grading translators will be introduced.
NTM Surveys.
Knowledge Text Scenario Survey
NTM conducted a survey with the following objectives:
17 languages are covered in the survey and they are Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Maithili, Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. All the finding of the survey are compiled in a report titled "Regional Language Knowledge Text Scenario – An Assessment".
Royalty: Industry Practice across India
NTM conducted a nationwide survey so as to find out the prevalent practice among some of the major as well as regional publishers towards the payment of royalty to authors/copyright holders, translators etc. In all, NTM has gathered information from over 100 publishers, which is essential in framing NTM-policies, especially in case of turnkey projects. A detailed report titled "Royalty: Industry Practice Across India" has been prepared.
Royalty: Lexicography in India
NTM conducted a survey to study the past and present scenario of lexicographic activities in 16 Indian Languages. The languages are - Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Sanskrit, Santhali, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. A detailed report titled Lexicography in Indian Languages: a brief report has been prepared explaining the finding.
Medium of Instruction & Medium of Examination (MoI & MoE) in Higher Education in India
NTM has collected data from 239 Universities/Colleges etc., then categorized, analyzed and a detailed report has been prepared and compared with survey report prepared by UPSC. Data provided by UGC on MoI/MoE are also categorized, analyzed and prepared a report.
Workshops and Seminars.
NTM has organised workshops in regional languages in different parts of the country involving discipline experts and translators to chalk out strategies for NTM translation assignments. A few seminal knowledge texts formed the focus of discussions in these workshops. NTM has been conducting workshops to assess the existing knowledge text translations in regional languages. These assessment workshops also aim to bring about collaboration between NTM and eminent scholars, writers, translators and publishers in different fields which will help in forming expert panels for its translations. NTM has also been organizing seminars on various aspects of translation with special reference to regional languages in different parts of the country. Apart from these, Translator Orientation Programmes; Publishers, Media and Translators Meet; Book Festivals; Workshops on Literary and Linguistic Terms; programmes on Classical Text and Literary Text Translation have been organized across the country by NTM. These workshops help NTM to popularize its initiatives among beneficiaries.
Publications.
Dictionaries.
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The Longman-NTM-CIIL English English [Indian Languages] Dictionary Series has been published by Pearson Education India
Bengali.
Translation of "Fundamentals of Sociology" by Gisbert P., Translator: Himangshu Ghosh, Publisher: Suhrid Publications, Kolkata, West Bengal
Bodo.
Translation of "The Penguin History of Early India From the Origins to AD 1300" by Thapar R., Translator: Kameswar Brahma, Publisher: Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Kokrajhar, Assam
Dogri.
Translation of “An Introduction to the Study of Indian History” by Kosambi D. D., Translator: PChandu Bhau, Yashpal Nirmal, Publisher: Nidhi Publications, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir.
Hindi.
Translation of “The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation” by Granville Austin. Translator: Naresh Goswami, Publisher: Vani Prakashan.
Translation of “Abnormal Psychology” by Carson, Robert C.; Butcher, James Neal; Mineka, Susan. Translator: Pallavi Bhatnagar, Jaya Chauhan, Prateeksha Shrivastava, Publisher: Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd.
Translation of “Organic Chemistry - Vol.1” by I. L. Finar. Translator: Kaushal Kishore Shrivastava and Shubha Shrivastava, Publisher: Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd.
Kannada.
Translation of “Fundamentals of Molecular Spectroscopy” by Colin N Banwell and Elaine M MaCash. Translator: H.S. Umesha and M.K. Ramaswamy, Publisher: Vismaya Prakashana, Mysore, Karnataka.
Translation of "Heat Transfer" by J.P. Holman, Translator: K.P. Srikantha, Publisher: K.S.M. Trust, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Translation of "The Penguin History of Early India From the Origins to AD 1300" by R. Thapar, Translator: H.S. Umesha, ShashiKumar J. and Deepa, Publisher: Vismaya Prakashana, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Hindu Society- An Interpretation" by Irawati Karve, Translator: Jnana Murthy B.R., NTM, CIIL, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Social Change in Modern India" by M.N. Srinivas, Chief Editor: Prof. R. Indira, Editors: Dr. Manjulakshi L. and Jnana Murthy B.R., Translators: Chandrashekhara Damle, Gururaja Bidikar, Tippiswamy B., Sowmya Kumar, Mahesha Tippeswamy, Ashok Kumar U.B., Chandrashekhar and B. Gopal Singh, NTM, CIIL, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Invertebrate Zoology" by E.L. Jordan & P.S. Verma, Translators: H.S. Umesh, S. Basavarajappa, P. Umadevi, Kollegal Sharma, Sathanur Devaraju and C.N. Sunitha, Publisher: Vismaya Prakashana, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Education and Human Resource Development" by V.K.R.V. Rao, Translator: Girijamma M. V., NTM, CIIL, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Indian Education in the Emerging Society" by J. Mohanty, Translator: Manjulakshi L., NTM, CIIL, Mysuru, Karnataka
Translation of "Caste in Modern India and Other Essays" by M.N. Srinivas, Translator: Sandya G., NTM, CIIL, Mysuru, Karnataka
Maithili.
Translation of “Cast in Modern India and other Essays” by M N Srinivas. Translator: Shambhu Kumar Singh, Publisher:National Translation Mission, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru, Karnataka
Malayalam.
Translation of “The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation” by Granville Austin. Translator: Govindan S Thampi, Publisher:State Institute of Language, Kerala
Translation of “Outlines of Indian Philosophy”; M Hiriyanna, Translator: R. Parvathikutty, Publisher: State Institute of Language, Kerala
Marathi.
Translation of "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" by Granville Austin, Translator: भारती केळकर (Bharati Kelkar), Publisher: Diamond Publications, Pune, Maharashtra
Translation of "Heat Transfer" by J P Holman, Translator: Subash Phadke, Publisher: Diamond Publications, Pune, Maharashtra
Nepali.
Translation of “The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation” by Granville Austin. Translator: Rajendra Dhakal, Publisher: Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru
Translation of "Outlines of Indian Philosophy" by M Hiriyanna, Translator: Ghanashyam Nepal, Publisher: Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru, Karnataka
Odia.
Translation of "The Penguin History of Early India: From Origins to AD 1300" by Romila Thapar, Translator: ପ୍ରୀତିଶ ଆଚାର୍ଯ୍ୟ (Pritish Acharya), Publisher: A K Mishra Publishers Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Translation of "Outlines of Indian Philosophy" by M Hiriyanna, Translator: Banbihari Choudhury, Publisher: A K Mishra Publishers Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Translation of "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" by Granville Austin, Translator: Arun Kumar Behera, Publisher: A K Mishra Publishers Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Punjabi.
Translation of "The Penguin History of Early India: From Origins to AD 1300" by Romila Thapar, Translator: ਕਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ (Karminder Singh), Publisher: Lokgeet Parkashan (Unistar Books Pvt. Ltd.), Chandigarh
Translation of "Outlines of Indian Philosophy" by M Hiriyanna, Translator: ਪ੍ਰਭਕੀਰਤਨ ਸਿੰਘ (Prabhkirtan Singh), Publisher: Lokgeet Parkashan (Unistar Books Pvt. Ltd.), Chandigarh
Translation of "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" by Granville Austin, Translator: ਕਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ (Karminder Singh), Publisher: Lokgeet Parkashan (Unistar Books Pvt. Ltd.), Chandigarh
Tamil.
Translation of "Fundamentals of Sociology" by Gisbert P, Translator: Poornachandran G., Publisher: Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru, Karnataka
Telugu.
Translation of "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation" by Granville Austin, Translator: ప్రభాకర్ మందార (Prabhakar Mandhara), Publisher: Hyderabad Book Trust, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Translation of "An Introduction to the Study of Indian History" by D D Kosambi, Translator: ఎన్ వేణుగోపాల్ (N. Venugopal), Publisher: Hyderabad Book Trust, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
English.
Editor: Tariq Khan, Publisher:National Translation Mission, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru, Karnataka