NLA Machine translation (MT) Urdu software
NLA launches Urdu software to break language barriers
Islamabad, July 19: English is no more a barrier in learning computer and internet
technology as National Language Authority (NLA) on Saturday released and Urdu
software carrying computing and processing systems, developed by its Centre of
Excellence for Urdu Informatics. Machine translation (MT) software is a
big step and now Urdu Data House is ready to replace other National languages on
cyber space, NLA Chairman Iftikhar Arif announced in a ceremony.
"Microsoft applications like Windows, Office are now converted into Urdu
operating systems. One font and one keyboard for Urdu and other Pakistani
languages is also released by NLA," Arif said. Arif said in a rapidly
growing integrated technology, it was inevitable to make Urdu language parallel
to developed contemporary languages in usage of computer, internet and
informatics. "Unveiling Urdu software is a step forward in development of Urdu
language," he said. He said under this project, Nastaleeq font was
developed to support Urdu and all Pakistani languages. "As the font is Unicode,
hence all kinds of data processing and computing become possible," he said.
He said with the use of such fonts, Urdu became a language of internet.
"Basic letters, dots and diacritics are also separated, on basis of Ghost
Character Theory, now registered with ISO and Unicode, whereas, it is not a
feature of Inpage Urdu," he said. He said MT software had been developed
to perform automatic translation from English to Urdu. "To develop a software
for a general language translation is near impossible. Initially, the scope of
this MT software is translate official discourse including budget and finance
matters," Arif said. He said Urdu Database would make language resources
available at one click and its application with testing data was ready to be
used for data processing with an aim to develop a comprehensive language
reference bank not only for scholars, researchers, teachers but also for
students and general public. "This is a post-dictionary work, where one
is not forced to share a prior knowledge of work or phrase as a prerequisite of
searching its meaning and usage," he said. Arif said Urdu Style Guide
let researchers, authors and publishers to style articles, books and other
materials automatically as per international and customised standards. "Applying
style manually not only takes extra time but also extra care. With the use of
Urdu Style Guide, raw data is formatted just by one click. The first part of
this product is a Bibliographer that is being released for writers," he said.
Dr Attash Durrani, Centre of Excellence for Urdu Informatics project
director, said, "Survival of the fittest is the rule applied on languages as
well in a global village. Only those languages will survive that are available
on computer and internet." Daily Times
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Posting of junior teacher raises eyebrows
Lahore: The recent posting of a BPS-17 lecturer against a BPS-18
administrative post with additional charge of BS-19 post by the Punjab Higher
Education Department has raised many eyebrows with some stakeholders accusing
high-ups of favouring the incumbent because of his political
connections. The lecturer, Muhammad Afzal, is among those over 90 ad hoc
lecturers who were reinstated in March this year on orders of the Supreme Court
of Pakistan. Reportedly, the Punjab government had sacked the lecturers who had
been serving for almost 14 years from service in 2001 instead of regularizing
them. It is learnt that during this period Muhammad Afzal started taking
part in local politics, developed relations with senior leaders of the PML-N and
also won elections at Union Council level in Dera Ghazi Khan. According
to sources in the department, as per rules the post of DO Colleges was to be
filled from among the teaching cadre, however, the candidate should have been an
assistant professor of BS-18. They said similarly the recently created post of
Director Colleges at divisional level was meant for associate professor of
BPS-19. They said at present not a single DO Colleges except of DG Khan
was of BPS-17 while adding similarly all posts of Director Colleges had been
filled except of DG Khan Division. They even claimed the Establishment
Wing of the department was intentionally not filling the post of Director
Colleges of DG Khan so that the lecturer kept enjoying 'authority'. The
sources said the department had to face political pressure each time appointment
was to be made on administrative posts as such postings were always considered
lucrative as they offered various facilities such as official vehicle
etc. When contacted, Muhammad Afzal said his posting had nothing to do
with politics adding his posting was ordered by the department secretary. To a
question, he said he was verbally asked to look after the charge of Director
Colleges. Additional Secretary (Establishment) of
the Punjab Higher Education Department Humayun Maqbool Bhatti claimed that the
department had to face problems in posting officials against administrative
posts in unattractive areas. "We have to post even BPS-17 lecturers as
principals in unattractive areas", he further claimed. To a question
whether any of the DO (Colleges) from any district of the province was of
BPS-17, Bhatti said" "I cannot recall right now". He, however, maintained that
the said DO had not been asked to look after the office of Director
Colleges. He said a summary was moved to the chief minister regarding
appointment of Director Colleges at DG Khan Division however it was sent back
with observations. He expressed hope that a regular incumbent would soon be
posted at DG Khan. Punjab Professors & Lecturers
Association (PPLA) President Nazim Hasnain said the posting was certainly
disappointing as merit was not observed. He said if the CM claimed supremacy of
merit in the province than it should be same for all.
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Internship programme 2009
Lahore: A four-month internship programme 2009 for final year DVM
students was inaugurated at the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences
(UVAS) by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz on Saturday. A five-day
orientation workshop was also organised in this connection which concluded on
Saturday. Speaking at the concluding session, the VC lauded the efforts made by
the Faculty of Veterinary Science in arranging the internship placement for 109
students in the public and private sectors.
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Old books exhibition
Lahore: Punjab Minister for Culture and Youth Affairs Dr Tanvirul Islam has said that book reading habit has
diminished in people, especially in youth, and computer has replaced books. He
was addressing the three-day exhibition of rare and antique books at the Lahore
Cultural Heritage Museum (Old Tolinton Market) on Saturday. A number of old and
antique books in English and Urdu had been displayed in the exhibition. The
minister said the exhibition would provide an opportunity to people to read
centuries old original books.
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UHS seminars
Lahore: THE University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore is organizing a series of orientation seminars for students on
Entrance Test 2009 for admission to medical and dental institutions of the
province. The first seminar of this series will be held on Tuesday, July 21, at
10:00 am in the auditorium of Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore. Entry is free
for all. UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. M.H. Mubbashar will conduct the seminar. He
will explain the new system of Entrance Test being introduced by the university
this year to the students. The News
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