CDAC has launched a speech recognition software in Hindi, which could transform spoken words into text on the computer screen. Named 'Shrutlekhan-Rajbhasha,' the software was launched by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on the occasion of 'Hindi Divas' on Thursday.

"This is an application where a user speaks in Hindi and the uttered speech gets transcribed into Hindi text form," a Home Ministry official told mediapersons. According to the Ministry, the software will revolutionise the use of 'Rajbhasha' for official and other purposes.

The software is developed by the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, the Information Technology wing of the Communication Ministry. The translation tool has been designed to assist the various departments and ministries of the government to create quick and effective standard Hindi translations of English documents, a C-DAC official said. The software is also being made available on the internet.

"The idea behind developing the software is to popularise the national language among public servants who have to make certain communications in Hindi for wider use," the official said. The new application is expected to come handy for the media where one needs immediate text of what has been uttered on the microphone.

However, the software will only accept "pure" Hindi. Mr Patil also inaugurated the facility of learning the 'LILA Hindi Prabodh, Praveen and Pragya Curriculum' on the internet through the medium of Oriya, Assamese, Manipuri and Marathi.