Guwahati: Students and faculty members of Tezpur University have developed an Android App named “Demsi”, to conveniently type Bodo texts on Android devices.
“Demsi” means graceful and smooth.
The development of an Android app to type Bodo texts would popularise the Bodo language, one of the prominent languages of Assam.
The app, available in the Google Play store, makes typing Bodo convenient by suggesting possible words when the user types the first few letters of a word. It can be used with existing software such as WhatsApp, Instagram, email, etc.
The App development began under an MTech (IT) student Sudem Daimari, from the Dept of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) under the supervision of Professor S K Sinha of the CSE Department.
Later, it caught the attention of Dr Nayan Basumatary, an alumnus of the CSE Department and Chairman of the Sub-Divisional Board of Tribal Development, Tezpur, who, with Prof Utpal Sharma of the CSE Department further developed the App. They were assisted by Sujal Kumar, a BTech (ECE) student and Manash Pratim Lahkar, a PhD student of the CSE Department.
Launching the App and delivering the Presidential address, Professor Shambhu Nath Singh, Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University said that the App would popularise the Bodo language. “More than 3 million individuals in Northeast India speak Bodo as their native tongue. It is widely used for conversation, document creation and communication. However, the Bodo language lags in terms of technology, and this App will help people write in Bodo,” Professor Singh said.
Professor Utpal Sharma, one of the App developers, explained a few technicalities of the App. “These days, documents are commonly created on computers and mobile devices. Due to a lack of Bodo word recommendations and word suggestions, people are forced to rely on the use of software for the Hindi language, which requires an excessive amount of time for the construction of words, and consequently, many people do not prefer to use it. Additionally, people are forced to rely on the use of the Roman (English) alphabet, which has caused people to forget the use of writing in their own Bodo Scripts,” he said.
Therefore, the availability of appropriate technology is a must. Our effort focuses on the development and implementation of a misspelling checker and word suggestion system for the Bodo language,” Prof. Sharma explained.
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Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Nayan Basumatary explained some of the key features of the App. “It is one of the first apps for the Bodo language that makes composition and writing in Bodo easy. It requires no need to type Bodo words one-by-one and this App can be used across all social media platforms,” Dr. Basumatary said.
During the App launch ceremony, members of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, the All Bodo Students Union, and students from Darrang and Tezpur College were present.
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