CSTT’s ‘Shabd’ Glossary Platform Promotes Indian Languages Terminology

Why in the news?

The CSTT launched the ‘Shabd’ platform, a searchable digital glossary to support NEP 2020, making scientific and technical terms available in 22 official Indian languages.

Role of CSTT in Standardising Technical Terms:

  • The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) was established in 1961 to create standardised scientific and technical terms in Indian languages.
  • CSTT publishes bilingual, trilingual, and multilingual glossaries, dictionaries, and journals like ‘Vigyan Garima Sindhu.’
  • It collaborates with institutions to develop textbooks and glossaries for various government departments, research labs, and public sector units.

‘Shabd’ Glossary Platform:

  • CSTT launched the ‘Shabd’ platform, a searchable website hosting all glossaries in digital format.
  • The platform allows users to search technical terms in 22 official Indian languages by subject, language, and dictionary type.
  • It aims to create a central repository for Indian language terminologies and allows feedback for refining terms.

About Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT): 

  • Established: December 1960 under Article 344(4) of the Constitution.
  • Functioning under: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
  • Location: New Delhi.
  • Primary Function: Evolve, propagate, and distribute standard scientific and technical terminology.

 Other Functions:

  • Prepare bilingual/trilingual glossaries and national terminology.
  • Publish school-level terminology and university textbooks.
  • Provide terminology for the National Translation Mission
  • Launch of ‘Shabd’ portal for hosting and accessing terminologies online.

About PB-SHABD:

  • Full form: Prasar Bharti – Shared Audio Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination.
  • Objective: Provide daily news feeds (video, audio, text, photo) to media subscribers.
  • Source: Powered by Prasar Bharati’s network of reporters, correspondents, and stringers across India.
  • Single Point Source: Centralised source of news content for all media organisations.
  • Free of Cost: Offered free for the first year to assist smaller newspapers, TV channels, and digital platforms.
  • Customization: Feeds can be used for customised storytelling across platforms.
  • Languages and Categories: Provides news in all major Indian languages across 50 categories.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times