Ravenshaw University P.G.Department of Odia develops Windows Vista and Office 2007 applications in Odia

Sometimes back there was a decision to stop Odia teaching in Ravenshaw College in some capacity(good sense prevailed and the decision was never implemented though). It is really heartening to come across the following article here.

If such opportunities can be created with consistency then Oriya will regain its popularity as a subject.

"Now, use Microsoft Vista operating system and Office 2007 applications in Oriya but be prepared for the shocker. These softwares have been developed by a literature and language facility and not any advanced out and out IT outfit. And, the entity is Post- Graduate Department of Oriya of Ravenshaw University.

After successfully giving shape to the default Oriya language interface for the Windows Vista operating system along with patches for its preceding XP platform for Microsoft, the department, in collaboration with Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC), has readied a comprehensive spellchecker and grammar-checker for the Oriya Office-2007 applications.

Not stopping at that, it has moved on to developing programming strings in Oriya language for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 applications.

It has developed independent softwares like the comprehensive Oriya dictionary ‘Pramod Abidhan,’ online Oriya tutor ‘Ana Oriya’, dictionary of contemporary word usages ‘Chalanti’ and an revolutionary English to Oriya automated transcription programme.

The developers are no IT geeks but students of Oriya literature in the department with basic knowledge of computers and a few of their counterparts from the MCA wing of the university.

Under the guidance of Prof and HoD, Dr Girish Chandra Mishra, who had been involved in the developing of Shrilipi Oriya programme in 1990, as many as 24 Oriya PG and eight MCA students are churning out products one after the other.

‘Pramod Abidhan,’ the 3,000-odd page Oriya dictionary, has been digitised and made online in the Orissa Government portal.

The dictionary contains around two lakh words complete with their etimiology, pronunciation, usage and varieties of meanings. The software can also be used offline.

Besides, keeping in view the rush of foreigners as multinational investors flock to Orissa, the department has developed ‘AnaOriya’ tutoring software package with online interface that enables selflearning from basic alphabets, words and their translated meanings, vowels, vowel symbols, grammar and sentence formation with exhaustive audio-visual support."