NIT Trichy organises training programme in translation

NIT Trichy launched the programme in collaboration with the National Translation Mission (NTM), the Government of India, and Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) organises a one-week Online Translation Training Programme titled 'Text and Context in Translation.

National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli’s Department of  Humanities and Social Sciences, in collaboration with the National Translation Mission (NTM), Government of India, and Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) organises a one-week Online Translation Training Programme titled 'Text and Context in Translation. The programme was inaugurated on July 18, 2022. The programme began with the welcome address by the programme Convener Dr VK Karthika and the presentation of the concept note by the co-convener Dr Tariq Khan (NTM).

Professor G Aghila, the Director, NIT Tiruchirappalli, delivered the presidential address and spoke about the relevance of the translation workshop linking it with the NEP 2020. She stated that translation training programmes of this magnitude is the need of the hour and emphasised the importance of translation by pointing out the requirement to make knowledge texts available in regional languages so that accessibility to information becomes inclusive. She congratulated the convener Dr VK Karthika and co-conveners Prof. R. Joseph Ponniah and Dr Tariq Khan for co-ordinating the programme and assembling a great panel of eminent speakers.

 The Chief Guest, Sri Prince Rama Varma, a member of the Royal Family of Travancore, a well-known musician, writer and translator inaugurated the programme. In his inaugural address, he spoke about the significance of translation in providing access to great literature and ancient wisdom by elucidating the curious connection between music, translation and culture.

Professor Shailendra Mohan, the Director of Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) Mysuru, offered felicitations. R Gajalakshmi, IAS, the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC), Dr S Kannappan, Member Secretary of  TNTB&ESC, Dr. M. Shankara Saravanan Joint Director TNTB&ESC and Professor VN Rajasekharan Pillai, the former UGC Chairman were present.

Professor Muthukumaran, Dean R&C NIT Trichy offered felicitations. Professor R Joseph Ponniah, the co-convenor delivered the vote of thanks and concluded the inaugural ceremony which was followed by sessions by Professor K Narayana Chandran, Institution of Eminence Research Chair in Literary and Cultural Theory, University of Hyderabad and by Githa Hariharan the renowned author and literary critic.

R Gajalakshmi, IAS, the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB & ESC) inaugurated the second day’s panel discussion by highlighting the Chief Minister’s endeavours in restoring the ancient wisdom embedded in Tamil texts that are being lost. She briefed the Tamil Nadu Government’s earnest initiatives in undertaking the project ‘Taking Tamil to the World: Transcending Boundaries. She along with Dr S Kannappan (Member Secretary TNTB & ESC), Dr M Shankara Saravanan (Joint Director, TNTB & ESC), and Mini Krishnan (Co-ordinating Editor, TNTB & ESC) discussed the relevance of translation in discovering, preserving, archiving and thereby revitalizing the ancient Tamil literature.

The second-panel discussion led by Mini Krishnan engaged the prominent translators in the field- Justice Prabha Sridevan (Madras High Court), Malini Seshadri, Vasantha Surya, G Geetha, V Ramakrishna, Darun, and Arun. The renowned translator Professor Catherine Thankamma handled the third session and her enlightening talk discussed the intricacies involved in Dalit literature in translation.

On the third day, on July 20, 2022, Professor KM Sheriff, a well-known translator and critic, from the University of Calicut spoke on issues and concerns regarding copyright. Profesor Sushanth Kumar Mishra of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (JNU New Delhi) an eminent author, translator and literary critic talked about the underlying issues in text and context in translation.

In the forthcoming days Professor GJV Prasad (JNU, New Delhi), Professor VB Tharakeshwar (EFLUniversity Hyderabad), Professor Vanamala Viswanatha (Author & Translator), Professor Tejaswini Niranjana (Ahmedabad University), Professor J Devika (Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram) and Professor K Srilatha (IIT Madras) will lead the sessions and discussions.

Read More:

• IIT Madras Free Robotics course for students; Last date to apply is Aug 1