Remington vs InScript: Which Hindi Keyboard Layout Should You Learn?

Where they came from

Remington is the layout of the Hindi typewriter. When offices moved to computers, fonts such as Kruti Dev 010 and DevLys kept the same keys, so typists did not have to relearn anything. InScript was designed later by the Government of India for computers. It arranges letters logically - vowels on the left, consonants on the right - and it types real Unicode Hindi, with any Hindi font.

How they differ in practice

• Letter positions: most letters are on different keys. On InScript k is क, but on Remington it is the ा sign.
• The ि sign: on Remington you type it before the consonant, as it is drawn. On InScript you type it after, as it is pronounced.
• What you get: classic Remington with Kruti Dev produces legacy text that needs the font. InScript produces Unicode. Unicode versions of the Remington layout also exist, and some exams offer one.
• Learning curve: InScript's logical grouping is easier for a beginner, but Remington is what typing institutes and older typists know.

Which exams and offices use which

Many court, district and state clerical typing tests still set Hindi typing in Kruti Dev on Remington. SSC and CPCT let candidates choose, and name the options in the notification. Central government offices, e-Office and anything online work in Unicode, where InScript is native. Your notification or your office manual is the final word, so read it before you start practising.

Which one should you learn?

• Preparing for an exam that names Kruti Dev or Remington: learn Remington. The typing tutor teaches it lesson by lesson.
• Starting from scratch for office or everyday work: InScript is the better long-term choice, because it is built into every modern system and produces Unicode directly.
• Already fast on Remington: stay with it. Type on the Remington Hindi keyboard page to get Unicode output, or convert your Kruti Dev text with Kruti Dev to Unicode.

Switching from one to the other

Expect a few weeks of slow typing. Fingers trained on one layout keep reaching for the old keys, especially under time pressure, and speed drops before it recovers. Three things help:

• Switch completely. Using both layouts during the same weeks slows learning on each.
• Start with the home row and build outwards, exactly as you did the first time - the tutor's lesson order works for relearning too.
• Keep a chart beside the screen rather than looking at the keyboard, so the new positions go into memory instead of your eyes.

Remington that types Unicode

Some exam software and input tools offer a Unicode version of the Remington layout. CPCT, for example, lists a Remington option next to InScript. The main letters sit where a Kruti Dev typist expects them, but a few symbols and conjuncts can differ between versions, so check the exam's own key chart for the keys you use most. Practising on Kruti Dev still trains the right muscle memory for the letters themselves.

Trying both

To try InScript, add Hindi in Windows Settings → Time & language → Language & region and switch with Windows key + Space. To see the whole Remington layout, print the one-page Kruti Dev keyboard chart. And if you only need a few words of Hindi, neither layout is necessary: English to Hindi typing or the on-screen Hindi keyboard will do.