Latest news with #TamilVirtualAcademy
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Maperum Tamil Kanavu programme held in Salem
To create awareness among the younger generation about the Tamil heritage and its history, the Maperum Tamil Kanavu programme was held in a private college in Salem on Thursday. District Revenue Officer R. Ravikumar presided over the function and orator Karu. Arumugatamizhan delivered a speech on the topic Ondre Kulam. Later they distributed certificates of appreciation to the students who contributed for the Maperum Tamil Kanavu programme. Speaking at the function, Mr. Ravikumar said that the Chief Minister is taking special steps to guide school and college students on the path of progress as culturally competent individuals. In that regard, the programmes are being organised for college students on behalf of the Tamil Virtual Academy so that the next generation can understand the tradition and history of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Virtual Academy, in collaboration with the Higher Education Department, has been organising the Tamil heritage and culture promotion event called Maperum Tamil Kanavu since the last academic year, 2022-23. The event has been organised in 200 colleges across Tamil Nadu, reaching out to approximately two lakh students from 2,000 colleges. The Chief Minister, who participated in the 100th event, announced that this event will be held every year. Based on the announcement, the events are being conducted from this month. The aim of this programme is to pass on the glory of Tamil culture and the challenges it faced. This programme is being conducted in 200 colleges across Tamil Nadu under the topics of literary richness, Tamil antiquity, social equality, women's development, archaeological studies, industrial development, educational revolution, etc., the DRO added. Around 1,000 students from various colleges participated and booklets on Tamil Pride were distributed to the students. Assistant Collector (Training) Vivek Yadav, Salem Revenue Divisional Officer A. Abinaya and officials from various departments participated.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Collector launches Tamil promotion drive at Annamalai university
CUDDALORE: District Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar on Wednesday inaugurated the 'Tamil Dream - Tamil Heritage and Culture' promotion programme at Annamalai University, Chidambaram. 'Among the world's flourishing cultures, Tamil culture stands foremost in its richness and heritage. To convey its greatness and the challenges to students, the Tamil Virtual Academy, in collaboration with the Higher Education Department, has been conducting the Great Tamil Dream Heritage and Culture Promotion Programme in previous years. Following the Tamil Nadu CM's annual programme announcement, this programme is being conducted among college students on behalf of the Higher Education Department and the Directorate of Collegiate Education.' Siddha doctor K Sivaraman delivered a special lecture, stating, 'This programme aims to create awareness among college students about Tamil heritage, culture, ancient traditions, linguistic excellence, equality, and socio-economic progress, guiding Tamil youth towards their future goals and building a prosperous society. From the Sangam era, Tamil society has excelled in arts, literature, and science. Through the Thirukkural, poet-saint Thiruvalluvar taught the world about equality over 2,000 years ago. Ancient Tamil society was an advanced one, particularly excelling in medicine and education." 'In Keezhadi excavation, inscriptions have been found on pottery, suggesting that farmers, potters, and artisans were all part of a literate society. As descendants of such a refined civilisation, it is our duty to pass on the pride of the Tamil language to future generations.' he added The programme was also addressed by Aranga Paari, Head of the Department of Indian Languages at the University. Cuddalore District Revenue Officer M Rajasekaran, Chidambaram Sub-Collector Kishan Kumar, and others.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
India now sole govt. with vote in emoji, text standards body Unicode Consortium
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) rejoined the Unicode Consortium as a Supporting Member this year, becoming one of just two government members with a vote on the body. The consortium and its technical body are in charge of determining the text and emojis that are standard across the internet, and have played a major role in ensuring that languages around the world, including Indian languages, are recognised by computer systems globally. The IT Ministry was previously a member from 2000 to 2019, and then for one year in 2021. The IT Ministry has not issued any statement announcing its membership, which has been listed on the consortium's website as the 'Government of India', with a link to MeitY's website. The membership, which allows the Indian government a half vote in the technical committee's decision making — and a seat at the table at its meetings, mostly held in the U.S. and online — represents an annual $20,000 commitment, or about ₹17 lakh. The IT Ministry has been a member of the consortium as a part of the decades-old Technology Development for Indian Languages (TDIL) initiative, which sought to promote, at first, an Indian alternative to ASCII, the pre-Unicode limited character set, and later on cooperated with efforts to internationalise Indian scripts by including them in Unicode. In 2023, The Hindu reported on how the Tamil Virtual Academy, an e-learning institute that operates autonomously under Tamil Nadu's Information Technology and Digital Services Department, had run up over $200,000 in membership fees over more than a decade, but did not attend a single meeting, or engage meaningfully with the body beyond 2016, while proprietary non-Unicode typefaces continued to be used across the State government's arms. The Tamil Virtual Academy remains a member, the only other Supporting Member globally apart from the IT Ministry. Other State governments, like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, have briefly held memberships, but discontinued them. The IT Ministry was not present at the latest series of meetings of the Unicode Technical Committee, held from April 22–24.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Tamil virtual academy compiles baby name repository to promote cultural heritage
Thinking of a baby name and tired of suggestions to anagram you and your partner's names or mash them together? The Tamil Virtual Academy (TVA) offers a more meaningful alternative. To celebrate linguistic pride and cultural heritage , the state govt, in collaboration with TVA, is compiling a repository of Tamil baby names with curated collection includes names of powerful kings, warriors, and noble heroes from the pre-Sangam era, such as Thithiyan (a chief of the Velir clan), Kari (elephant, symbolising strength), or Athan (lord or leader). Alternatively, draw inspiration from the post-Sangam era with names of revered scholars, poets, and literary characters such as Sundarar (the handsome one), Azhwarkadiyan (devotee of the Alvars, character in Ponniyin Selvan), and Thiruvilakku (sacred lamp, a metaphor for enlightenment).The initiative was launched just days after chief minister M K Stalin urged parents to give their children Tamil names. This call drew a pointed response from a frustrated netizen who highlighted the lack of accessible resources. In response, Stalin announced the creation of this curated name database.R Komahan, Joint Director at TVA, says a committee is being set up to go through literature available in the open domain from the pre-Sangam, post-Sangam, and modern era to find popular and interesting names. "The project is still in its discussion phase, but we estimate there are more than two lakh names that can potentially be a part of the database. Right now, we are working on consolidating the sources of texts," he names are said to focus mainly on having Tamil roots and direct Tamil meanings without being influenced by other languages. Some popular ones, says Komahan, are Yazhini (melodious or graceful), Magizhmathi (one who is as pleasing and bright as the moon), Amizhthiniyan (one with a pleasant nature), Govendhan (king or lord), and Thiral (bravery, courage, or strength).The TVA is also developing a system to provide a set of combinations that, when inputted as 'a name of a king + with rich Tamil meaning', can suggest a list of names. "This, however, will take time for us to develop. But it is in the pipeline. This is just one way to let people know we have wonderful names in Tamil," he says.
New Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
When every rock tells an artistic story
MADURAI: Ancient art is not simply limited to engravings found on Egypt's walls with tales of Pharaohs, or primitive pictographs of Palaeolithic humans hunting animals found in the Peruvian caves. Civilisations across the globe have used art to leave a legacy that breathes on for centuries. While it might look backwards or primitive to the layman, art historians like KT Gandhirajan find these pictographs intricate and nuanced. 'It is amazing to see rock art paintings in caves where tribes lived almost 2,000 years ago. They have documented their culture, heritage, fauna, social interactions, etc. These paintings are a treasure trove of knowledge, and documenting them gives me joy and motivates me to pursue my journey. Rock art varies from place to place and is paired with meticulous changes such as types of colours and materials used. Every subtlety has a story to tell,' he said. Gandhirajan has discovered and documented over 1,000 images of rock art in 80 sites, including tribal and non-tribal areas across the state. The art historian and researcher from Usilampatti in Madurai, with over two decades of experience, takes up rocky paths in his stride, fueled by his passion for rock art works. The researcher, currently with the Tamil Virtual Academy, says, 'After Class 12, my father tried to enrol me in an engineering college, but I was not able to make it through. I later got admitted to PMT college in Usilampatti for BSc Chemistry. I later pursued an MA in Art History at Madurai Kamaraj University.' Gandhirajan's love for rock paintings piqued when he moved to the University of Madras in 1995 for his PhD titled 'Painting Traditions in the Nayak Period'. As part of his five-year research, he got a chance to visit 40 temples, including the Srirangam Aranganathaswamy Temple and others in Kumbakonam. Fascinated by temple paintings, he used to click photographs, and write about them for his thesis. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete his PhD, owing to various challenges. 'This is when I accidentally met Government Fine Arts College Principal Alphonso Arul Doss, and he invited me to take part-time classes for college students. With his support, I started my journey to discover the world of cave rock art. Though I couldn't finish my PhD, my experiences allowed me to forge an interest in the study of rock art,' he said.
