The Andhra Pradesh Government has been urged to take immediate steps to convert web sites of Government departments and agencies into Telugu within six months and to make use of the 18 available Telugu fonts for the purpose.

A resolution was passed to that effect here on Sunday at the valedictory function of the second international Telugu Internet conference in Gitam University. The unicode-compatible Telugu fonts would make it easier for the common man to access information in the Web sites. Earlier, on Friday, 15 Telugu fonts were released by the Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah at the conference jointly organised by the State Information Department and Siliconandhra.

The third international Telugu Internet conference would be held at Vijayawada and the Siddhartha Academy would host it from November 9-11 next year. Another conference would be held at Warangal to promote the use of Telugu in Internet for tourism promotion in the State.

Telugu software

It was resolved to hold a meeting with mobile phone manufacturers to facilitate use of Telugu software in cell phones being sold in the State and to upload all Telugu fonts onto the Telugu Vijayam Web site. Training should be imparted to the Government staff on making use of the fonts in the Web sites.

It was also resolved to request various universities in the State to introduce a diploma course in Telugu linguistics with focus on making the language technology-compatible.

Earlier, Mr Justice G. Raghuram, AP High Court judge, said culture and language were inseparable and both were essential for healthy human relationships. Therefore, efforts should be made to make Telugu a powerful medium of expression by making use of the modern technology. He asked people to shed inferiority and express themselves effectively in their mother tongue.

AP Telugu Academy Chairman K. Yadagiri said it was a matter of great concern that the Unesco had noted that Telugu was one of the languages threatened with extinction. The academy, which was being upgraded at a cost of Rs 20 crore, would make all efforts to arrest the trend and promote the use of the language at all levels.

Gitam University Vice-Chancellor G. Subrahmanyam said the university would also strive to promote Telugu.

> sarma.rs@thehindu

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