NPTEL of IIT Madras translates 207 technical courses into regional languages -

The NPTEL branch of IIT Madras has translated 207 technical courses, such as ‘Introduction to Internet of Things,’ into Hindi. To maintain translation accuracy and quality, NPTEL has employed a team of 1,029 Hindi translators and 139 quality controllers (QCs).

In addition, NPTEL has released 199 e-books in Hindi on its website, widening access to educational materials in the language. Moreover, they have made available audio recordings equivalent to 1,200 hours of video content in Hindi, enhancing the learning journey for Hindi-speaking students.

NPTEL has focused on specific fields, particularly Computer Science (35 courses), Social Sciences (32 courses), and Electrical Engineering (29 courses). They actively seek feedback from participants, and translations like ‘The Joy of Computing using Python’ have received overwhelmingly positive responses.

There are ongoing efforts to broaden translation endeavors, with courses such as ‘Introduction to Machine Learning’ being translated into Hindi using machine learning tools, and accompanied by voice overs to improve accessibility.

IIT Madras NPTEL has translated its courses into 11 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. The aim is to support learners who have completed their schooling in regional languages and are transitioning to English for technical education.

For more details and access to NPTEL’s translated courses, visit the following webpage: https://nptel.ac.in/translation

Emphasizing the initiative to translate technical content into regional languages, NPTEL’s Translation Coordinator, Prof. Rajesh Kumar from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras said that every language represents a unique world. Without translation, he would remain confined within the boundaries of my own world. NPTEL is committed to breaking down this barrier.

Additionally, Professor Abhijit P Deshpande, also a NPTEL Translation Coordinator and faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, mentioned that NPTEL-IIT Madras is adopting innovative methods to ensure accessibility of translated content to learners in India. These methods include subtitles, video text tracks, transcripts, books with slides, and audio tracks. The key objective is to build India’s capability in high-quality translation of science/engineering content.

NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning), a collaboration between the IITs and IISc, funded by the Ministry of Education (MoE) Government of India, was inaugurated in 2003. Initially conceived as a project to extend quality education to all corners of the nation, NPTEL now offers hundreds of certification courses every semester to students and professionals across India.

NPTEL has significantly expanded its offerings. While originally aimed at democratizing access to quality education nationwide, NPTEL now provides a diverse catalogue of over 700 certification courses every semester across 22 disciplines.

The translated materials undergo thorough review by NPTEL Quality Control (QC) experts before being released on the SWAYAM and NPTEL websites in multiple formats, including PDF transcripts, e-books, subtitles, scrolling text, and even audio formats, all provided free of charge for easy accessibility.

As of now, more than 20,000 hours of video content from 244 NPTEL courses, including 163 engineering courses, have been effectively translated. Technical terms are preserved in English (transliterated) to maintain accuracy and enhance the learning experience. These translated transcripts are organized into books for easy reference, with a total of 980 books, currently accessible in various regional languages on the NPTEL website, the translation book site, and the Swayam portal.