Dr Gurpreet Singh Lehal (born 1963) is a professor in the Computer Science Department, Punjabi University

Punjabi University

Punjabi University, located at Patiala, is one of the premier institutions of higher education in Punjab, India. Panjabi University teaches and researches in science, engineering and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports....

, Patiala and Director of the Advanced Centre for Technical Development of Punjabi Language Literature and Culture. He is noted for his work in the application of computer technology in the use of the Punjabi language

Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

 both in the Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi script.

A post graduate in Mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

 from Panjab University

Panjab University, Chandigarh

Panjab University is one of the oldest universities in India. The university campus is residential, spread over an area of in sectors 14 and 25 of the city of Chandigarh...

, he did his masters in Computer Science from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology and Ph.D. in Computer Science on Gurmukhi Optical Character Recognition (OCR) System from Punjabi University, Patiala.

Background

As a researcher

Researcher

A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...

, Dr. Lehal’s main contribution has been development of technologies related to computerization of Punjabi language. Prominent among these are first Gurmukhi OCR, first multi-font Punjabi spell checker

Spell checker

In computing, a spell checker is an application program that flags words in a document that may not be spelled correctly. Spell checkers may be stand-alone capable of operating on a block of text, or as part of a larger application, such as a word processor, email client, electronic dictionary,...

, first high accuracy Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi and Shahmukhi-Gurmukhi transliteration

Transliteration

Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...

 systems and first Intelligent Predictive Roman-Gurmukhi transliteration techniques for simplifying Punjabi typing. Dr. Lehal has published more than 60 research paper

Research paper

Research paper may refer to:* Academic paper , which is published in academic journals and contains original research results or reviews existing results* Term paper, written by high school or college students...

s in various national and international journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Lehal has handled research projects worth more than 30 million Rupees including two international projects, which were awarded in an open competition among contestants from more than 30 countries.As a software engineer

Software engineer

A software engineer is an engineer who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as computer chips, work.- Overview :...

, Dr. Lehal has developed more than 20 software systems including first commercial Punjabi word processor

Word processor

A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....

, Akhar and Urdu-Hindi Transliteration software.
As an academician, Dr. Lehal has taught and supervised research activity of postgraduate and doctorate students. He has guided more than 50 post graduate Research scholars and 5 PhD students on various topics related to computerization of Punjabi.

Main achievements

Dr. Lehal has been working for more than ten years on different projects related to computerization of Punjabi and has been a pioneer in developing technical solutions for Punjabi language. For the first time, many new technologies have been developed by him including Intelligent Predictive Roman-Gurmukhi transliteration techniques for simplifying Punjabi typing, Punjabi spell checker, Punjabi font converter and Gurmukhi OCR.
Many other products for popularising Punjabi and breaking the script and language barrier

Language barrier

Language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to indicate the difficulties faced when people who have no language in common attempt to communicate with each other...

s have been developed under his leadership. Some of these products which are being widely used include a multi-media based website for Punjabi teaching, Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi transliteration utility, Shahmukhi-Gurmukhi transliteration utility, Punjabi-Hindi translation software, Hindi-Punjabi translation

Translation

Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...

 software, Urdu-Hindi transliteration software, Punjabi Search Engine

Search engine

A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...

 and Punjabi grammar

Grammar

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...

 checker.

Language Software and Technologies developed

• First Gurmukhi OCR
• Akhar, Punjabi word processor
• First Intelligent Predictive Romanized typing utility for Gurmukhi text
• First Punjabi font to Unicode
  Unicode
  Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
  
   & Reverse conversion utility
• Punjabi Spell Checker
• Urdu/Kashmiri to Roman Script Transliteration Software
• Urdu to Devnagri Transliteration Software
• Devnagri to Urdu Transliteration Software
• Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi (Urdu) transliteration Software
• PunjabiKhoj, Customized Search Engine for Punjabi (Project Leader)
• Shahmukhi (Urdu) to Gurmukhi Transliteration online software (Project Leader)
• Online Punjabi teaching website (Project Leader)
• Multi-media enabled Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi-English Dictionary (Project Leader)
• Punjabi to Hindi Machine Translation System (Project Leader)
• Hindi to Punjabi Machine Translation System (Project Leader)
• Punjabi Grammar Checker (Project Leader)
• Punjabi Morphological Analyser & Generator (Project Leader)
• Gurmukhi to Roman Transliteration System (Project Leader)

External links

• Balle Balle Software, The Tribune, 21/8/2004
• Software to convert Punjabi script to Shahmukhi script, The Tribune, 6/9/2004
• Punjabi typing made simple, The Tribune, 13/7/2007
• Breaking the script barrier: Punjabi software suite to transcribe Roman characters in Gurumukhi, ExpressNews Service, 20/11/2007
• Urdu Hindi transliteration system to be developed, Punjab Newspaper, 20th Feb. 2009

Wikipedia Links

Punjabi Computing Resources

Punjabi Computing Resources

Punjabi is an important language of the world. Here is a list of Punjabi computing sources:-Punjabi Typing Tools:* by Punjabi University* * * * * * * by Punjabi University-Punjabi Word-Processing:* * * * * -Punjabi Spell-checkers:* *...