Why in news?
Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the Beta Version of Adi Vaani, making it the nation’s first AI-powered translator for tribal languages.
Adi Vaani is an AI-powered translation tool for India’s tribal languages, while Adi Vani Buleki is an accomplished Fijian rugby sevens player who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
 
Beta Launch Highlights

• Developed by a consortium led by IIT Delhi, with BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, and IIIT Nava Raipur, in collaboration with Tribal Research Institutes across five states.
• Adi Vaani supports initial translations for Santali, Bhili, Mundari, and Gondi, with languages like Kui and Garo to be added in future phases.
• Features include real-time translation (text, speech), text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and OCR to digitize manuscripts and oral traditions.
• The tool aims to bridge communication gaps, empower tribal communities, and digitally preserve up to 461 tribal languages, of which 81 are vulnerable and 42 critically endangered.

National Mission & Impact

• Adi Vaani is part of broader initiatives to advance Digital India, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, and government programs supporting tribal development and inclusion.
• The platform will help deliver health advisories, government scheme awareness, and subtitles for Prime Minister’s speeches in tribal languages.
• Its community-driven approach involves local data collection and validation to ensure accuracy and cultural integrity.
• Adi Vaani represents a major step in empowering India's tribal communities through technology and the preservation of endangered languages.

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