The once-celebrated art of writing using shorthand is now on the wane. There was a time when shorthand was the preferred mode of note-taking and played a vital role in speeding up communication. The exponents of the craft occupied a respected position in every major office and were a silent but efficient presence during many a meeting and briefing. Over the years, all this changed.
N. Ramachandran, a member of The Stenographer’s Guild and an advocate, started an institute for shorthand and typewriting in the year 1963. “During the period 1963-73, around hundred students took the Government technical exams for shorthand. After that though, the shorthand technique suffered a huge setback with only 25 candidates taking the exams during 1973-85. The situation worsened when the examination hall saw less than ten students from 1990 onwards,” says the 85-year-old Ramachandran, who runs the 52-year-old Institute of Commerce.
Earlier, there used to be at least 40 centres conducting these exams, but they have all disappeared now, with only one remaining in the entire city.
With a multitude of high-tech options that promise speed and accuracy and more privacy, such old-school models are in a rapid decline.
There are some pockets of resistance though. While short-hand in Chennai is perhaps in its death throes, it’s still very much alive in other parts of the State. In the Government Industrial Training Institute, the enrollment for shorthand exams is much higher in Coimbatore, Cudallore and several other places, Mr. Ramachandran claims.
Shorthand is the most accurate method of note-making. It is based on sound writing where one listens and notes down the words using outlines and symbols.
“Writing using shorthand will take only 1/6{+t}{+h}of the time one takes to write using full forms,” adds Ramachandran.
Although the use of shorthand or the profession of stenography might not be in its glory now, this practice still prevails in the 21st century, he says. “Even now, courts, government bodies, prominent personalities and several newspaper organisations employ stenographers. Shorthand bears testimony,” he explains.
While there are those who continue to swear by the art of quick note-taking, technology has rendered this once ubiquitous profession almost irrelevant
