‘Digitising Assam 2.0’ unlocks 2.76 million pages of Assamese literature online

In a landmark initiative for language preservation and digital access, the Nanda Talukdar Foundation has launched “Digitizing Assam 2.0,” making 2.76 million pages of Assamese literature and archival material fully searchable online.

 

The project enables users to instantly access vast information by simply typing keywords whether it is works related to Bhupen Hazarika or topics like the Brahmaputra, bringing together books, journals, manuscripts, and rare historical records that were once scattered across physical archives.

 

Over the past five years, the foundation has digitized millions of pages through a community-driven effort, making them available in the open domain and significantly benefiting researchers, students, and scholars.

What sets this initiative apart is its advanced keyword-search functionality across diverse formats and time periods, transforming static archives into a dynamic, accessible knowledge repository. Experts say this will open new avenues in academic research, policy studies, linguistic preservation, and cultural historiography.

 

The technological backbone of the project was developed by Borno Labs, led by Kabyanil and Indranil Talukdar, and Bohniman Systems, led by Abhijit Bhuyan. Using advanced artificial intelligence, the teams decoded and indexed complex Assamese texts considered one of the more challenging language-processing tasks in India. The initiative is also supported by the Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Educational and Socio-Economic Trust.

 

Officials described the project as more than a technological upgrade, calling it a structural transformation that bridges preservation with accessibility and places Assamese language resources within the broader framework of India’s multilingual digital ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the foundation plans to launch a mobile application that will allow users to scan and upload books and manuscripts directly from their smartphones, aiming to turn digitization into a mass movement. The initiative will also explore student internships aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) to integrate academic learning with cultural preservation.

 

Both the upgraded platform and the mobile application are scheduled for formal launch in June. The project is being supported financially by Oil India Limited, highlighting a model of corporate participation in safeguarding Assam’s linguistic and cultural heritage.