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1. WHAT IS ‘Adi Vaani’?
2. WHO DEVELOPED THE APP?
3. WHY IS THIS INITIATIVE IMPORTANT?
4. WHICH LANGUAGES WILL BE COVERED INITIALLY?
5. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED?
6. HOW WILL IT BE USED BY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES?
‘Adi Vaani’ is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based translation tool launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It enables translation between Hindi, English, and tribal languages, while also supporting the digitization and preservation of endangered tribal languages.
2. WHO DEVELOPED THE APP?
The app was developed by a consortium led by IIT Delhi, in collaboration with BITS Pilani, IIIT Naya Raipur, and tribal research institutes from Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Meghalaya.
3. WHY IS THIS INITIATIVE IMPORTANT?
According to the 2011 Census, India has a Scheduled Tribe population of over 10.45 crore, speaking around 461 tribal languages. Out of these, 82 are classified as vulnerable and 42 as critically endangered. The app plays a crucial role in safeguarding these languages from extinction and ensuring cultural preservation.
4. WHICH LANGUAGES WILL BE COVERED INITIALLY?
In its initial phase, the app will provide translation services for Bhili, Gondi, Santali, and Mundari — languages widely spoken across central and western India. In the next phase, it will be expanded to include Kui (Odisha) and Garo (Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura).
5. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED?
One of the biggest challenges was collecting, compiling, and validating a large and reliable dataset of words and sentences. To overcome this, more than 250 tribal speakers, educators, and community leaders contributed to building and refining the AI model.
6. HOW WILL IT BE USED BY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES?
With the launch of the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, aimed at empowering grassroots tribal leadership, ‘Adi Vaani’ will be introduced and promoted among tribal communities. The app will be available on the Google Play Store for easy access.