The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released guidelines for translating books into Indian languages in higher educational institutions (HEIs). The aim is to ensure consistency, maintain quality, and promote effective translation of textbooks at both national and regional levels.

The UGC suggests that translated texts should be simple and retain the original meaning, avoiding long sentences with multiple clauses. HEIs are encouraged to use the 'ANUVADINI' AI translation tool developed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which supports text translation, speech-to-text typing, and editing.

The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) has developed subject-specific glossaries to help in the translation process. Regional language translation can also be facilitated through Grantha Academies, language departments of universities, and institutes.

When dealing with complex technical terms, the UGC recommends presenting them in English within brackets after their Indian language equivalents. If no Indian language equivalent exists, English words can be translated into the target language script as substitutes. Furthermore, the UGC emphasizes the significance of promoting a pan-Indian common core vocabulary across all Indian languages to facilitate translation and comprehension.

UGC has advised HEIs to prioritize commonly used words within specific domains. While word-to-word translations are not mandatory, the translated texts should effectively convey the complete meaning and concepts from the original text. Connotative meanings with positive and negative dimensions should be avoided, as well as features absent in the source language.

If the translation tool generates a word-to-word sequence, it is necessary to rephrase the text partially or entirely for a more meaningful translation. Thorough editing is essential, involving careful reading of both the original and translated documents.

It is worth noting that these guidelines also apply to the original writing of textbooks in Indian languages. The UGC emphasizes that the guidelines are subject to change as needed.