PROJECTS

 

Project on NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP) OF SANSKRIT USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

BACKGROUND

For over a decade now, the Academy is carrying on the research in Sanskrit and Allied subjects using Artificial Intelligence (AI) participating in the Technology Development for Indian Language (TDIL) program of Ministry of Information Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi, in the development of Software Tools related to Natural Language Processing (NLP) of Sanskrit.

The Academy is mainly relying upon the limited annual ad-hoc matching grants – in- aid from the state of Karnataka and Central Government for its survival. In the recent past, due to paucity of funds it is forced to bring some of its most useful projects to a grinding halt.

While it is hoping that some breakthrough will be made under the ensuing 10th Plan period for injecting higher quantum of grants, it is now seeking some short term relief by way interim ad-hoc release of funds during the current year 2001-2002 (our of the balance or unutilized funds related to 9th plan outlay estimated for higher education project program) to enable the Academy to carry on the most valuable and useful projects related to the NLP of Sanskrit.

PROPOSAL

As of now, there are a handful of projects which have reached advanced stage of development and need funds only to create additional contents and structuring for use on user-friendly platforms.

They are:

    1. Vyavahara Kosa: A Package which translates words or sentences in 15 Indian Language plus English. This tool also speaks the sentences given out. The words/sentences are categorized by usage of domain (home, post offices, hospital etc.) – Addition contents need be created.
    2. Shabdartha Kaustubha : A Sanskrit – Kannada Dictionary having more than 50,000 Sanskrit words and their various meanings in Kannada.
    3. Tarka Sangraha : A teaching package for Nyaya Sastra.
    4. Samskruta Sopana : - A step-by-step explanation for learning the regularity and scientific structure of the Sanskrit language. It has :
      a) Varnamala : which explains the phonetics and speech of Panini as discovered by the sage Panini.
      b) Sutra-decoding: Which gives the decoding system of Panini sutra using the 14 Maheswara Sutras in various contexts.
      c) Sandhi : Which joins two words into one according to the sandhi rules of Sanskrit.
      d) Text-to-Speech: A package for speech output from a given text in ten languages. The text can be edited and changed and the output will change correspondingly.

Each of these projects needs approx. Rs 10.00 lakhs to bring them out as Viable Commercial Tool in a span of about an year from the date of injecting the said funds. The estimated break up of costs of Rs. 10.00 lakh budget for each is annexed hereto.

CONCLUSION

Usually, at the end of each 5-year plan period, some funds are likely to remain unutilized and may lapse due to various factors. If small portion of such unutilized funds are allowed to be used for projects as mentioned above the hard work of reputed Institutions of National Importance like ours will go a long way in enabling the institution to deliver the products in time for posterity.

Analysis of break up of cost estimates – proposal for carrying on the project related to NLP of Sanskrit using Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Cost Estimates Rs.10.00 lakhs – Duration – One year.

Sl.  No      Head of Account                                              Cost Estimates Rs.
.

01                 H.R/ Costs:

Cadre                  No. of. Heads           Monthly            No. of
                                                            Emoluments      months
                                                            Per head
Investigator/                  01                    10,000             12           1, 20,000
Project Leader            
Sys. Analysis                01                    10,000             12           1, 20,000