FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2024
SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
VASCO: A huge majority of children have Maths phobia in our society. The situation becomes even more acute for students from the vernacular medium, who find it difficult to understand the complicated terminologies of Maths in English.
But now, very soon this language barrier will cease to exist as BITS Pilani Goa Campus is preparing a Fundamental Glossary of Mathematics which would have translated meaning of approximately 3,600 terms in the Konkani language from various terms from English.
The project was initiated by Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), Ministry of Education, Government of India, Department of Higher Education, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics, BITS Pilani Goa Campus.
An Expert Advisory Committee meeting was organised in this regard for preparation of Fundamental Glossary of Mathematics (English-Hindi-Konkani). Approximately 3,600 terms in the Konkani language evolved during the meeting.
Vijay Raj Singh Shekhawat , Assistant Director, CSTT is the Officer-Incharge for the project. Jajati Keshari Sahoo was the Coordinator for the meeting held at BITS Goa. Similar kinds of projects are being undertaken under the guidance of the Prof Girish Nath Jha, Chairman, CSTT.
“In these kinds of projects, first of all, a database of terms is prepared from standard books of a particular subject. Then in phase two, these terms are prepared in either Hindi or Sanskrit. Then finally, the terms are prepared in other Indian languages so that in coming times, students could learn in regional languages,” Prof (Dr) Jajati Keshari Sahoo told O Heraldo.
Then finally, the terms are prepared in other Indian languages to develop scientific and academic literature and books in the regional languages so that in coming times, students may have the option to choose learning in their own regional languages, Prof Sahoo said.
“The speciality about the Konkani version is that almost all students and teachers, who are studying Mathematics in the English medium, can now understand terminologies properly in their mother tongue. Also in the light of NEP 2020, sooner the students may have the option to study in Konkani medium,” Professor, Department of Mathematics, Tarkeshwar Singh said.
Recently, there was a meeting conducted at Goa University coordinated by Dr Jessica Fernandes Pereira (Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics) to fine-tune the terms further.
The glossary will be available digitally on CSTT website once it is finalised. Also it can be bought by Individuals or my Institutes for their libraries.
