Amazon launches Kindle Lite app for Android in India
Bengaluru: Claiming that it is the lightest reading app, Amazon on Wednesday launched Kindle Lite for Android in India.
The Kindle Lite app is available for download on Play Store.
An India first product, the Kindle Lite App is less than 2MB and provides Kindle features, including personalised recommendations, Whispersync (synching your eBooks across devices) as well as free eBook samples and titles in English, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati and Malayalam languages.
"As part of our continued focus on India, we are always working to improve the reading experience for our customers. Apps constantly compete for space on a mobile phone and Kindle Lite solves this problem for our readers," Rajiv Mehta, Country Manager, Kindle, said in a statement.
Kindle Lite consumes less memory on a customer's phone while providing a great reading experience -- even over slow internet connections and patchy networks.
"Kindle Lite is less than 2MB and built to provide a great reading experience even on 2G/3G networks," Mehta said.
During the first month after the launch, the customers would also get 80 per cent cashback on their first eBook purchased on Kindle Lite through Amazon Pay.
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Sanskrit scientific language, NASA has written papers on it: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that Sanskrit is a "scientific" language and even NASA has acknowledged it as such – a claim that has often been made with little evidence in support.
Gupta made the remark addressing the closing ceremony of a 10-day Sanskrit learning initiative in the capital.
"Even NASA scientists have written papers on Sanskrit and have confirmed that it is a scientific language. Coding can be done in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the most computer-friendly language," she said.
Her assertion was most likely based on a 1985 paper – and subsequent glorification of it with little follow-up – published in AI magazine.
The paper, titled Knowledge Representation in Sanskrit and Artificial Intelligence, was authored by Rick Briggs, a researcher associated with NASA Ames Research Centre, who sought to prove that a "natural language can serve as an artificial language also."
Briggs, about whom little else is known, cited in the paper ancient Sanskrit grammarians who "accomplished" a method for "paraphrasing Sanskrit in a manner that is identical not only in essence but in form with current work in Artificial Intelligence."
Meanwhile, Gupta said that it is societal bias that views fluency in foreign languages as a sign of intelligence, while often dismissing Sanskrit.
"If our children speak French, German or English fluently, then we consider that child very bright and take pride in that. But when a child can speak Sanskrit with the same fluency, it is not considered a big deal," she said.
Gupta argued that Sanskrit is not only foundational to Indian culture but also integral to many Indian languages.
"Every state has a mother tongue, but in reality, Sanskrit is our mother tongue as every language has descended from Sanskrit. Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Sindhi, Malayalam -- these are all branches of Sanskrit," she said.
The BJP leader added, "If we want to be 'Vishva Guru' (world leader), then we have to gain more knowledge by the means of Sanskrit."
She also said that the Delhi government will work to make the language more accessible, especially through government schools.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra also attended the event.
The Delhi government, in collaboration with the NGO Samskrita Bharati, conducted free Sanskrit classes from April 23 at 1,008 locations across the city schools, colleges, and temples, with daily two-hour sessions focusing on the basics of the language.
Gupta said such efforts are part of a broader push to restore Sanskrit's place in everyday life and education.
