The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has recently launched the Beta version of Adi Vaani, an AI-powered language translation tool specifically designed for India’s tribal languages. This marks a significant step toward the preservation and promotion of tribal languages, as well as bridging the communication gap between tribal and non-tribal communities. The tool is part of the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh initiative, which seeks to honor and uplift India’s tribal communities and their cultural heritage.
Adi Vaani is India’s first AI-based translation tool dedicated to tribal languages. Its development combines advanced AI technologies with community-driven approaches, aiming to safeguard endangered tribal languages and cultures across India.
AI-Powered Translation:
Adi Vaani uses AI language models like No Language Left Behind (NLLB) and IndicTrans2 to translate between tribal languages and mainstream languages like Hindi and English.
The tool supports real-time translation for both text and speech, making it easier for tribal communities to communicate and access information in their native languages.
Languages Supported (Beta Version):
In its initial launch, the tool focuses on Santali (Odisha), Bhili (Madhya Pradesh), Mundari (Jharkhand), and Gondi (Chhattisgarh)—some of the major tribal languages in India.
Digitizing Tribal Heritage:
The platform aims to digitally preserve folklore, oral traditions, and cultural heritage by converting spoken words and manuscripts into digital formats.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology will be used to digitize traditional manuscripts, primers, and other important cultural documents.
Community and Cultural Inclusion:
The development process is community-driven, involving Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and local experts in data collection, validation, and iterative improvements.
The tool is designed not only for translation but also to provide interactive language learning to help students and early learners.
Functional Toolkit:
Text-to-Text and Speech-to-Speech translation for bridging language barriers.
Bilingual Dictionaries for helping users understand the meaning and context of words.
Subtitles for important speeches, health advisories (like awareness about Sickle Cell Disease), and details of government schemes and initiatives in tribal languages.
Cultural Preservation: The primary goal is to preserve endangered tribal languages and protect them from extinction by making them more accessible through digital means.
Improved Communication: Adi Vaani will improve communication for tribal communities, especially in areas like healthcare, digital literacy, and civic inclusion, allowing them to access vital information in their native languages.
Awareness: It also provides awareness about government schemes and initiatives, ensuring that tribal communities are more connected to national programs and policies.
The broader vision for Adi Vaani is to expand its support to more tribal languages across India, including those that are currently underrepresented in the digital space. As AI technology improves, the translation tool will become more accurate and comprehensive, further enhancing its role in preserving and revitalizing tribal cultures.
The launch of Adi Vaani represents a historic milestone in India’s efforts to empower tribal communities through technology. It acknowledges the vital role that language plays in identity, culture, and knowledge transmission, and it strives to make the tribal languages more prominent in the digital world. By making information accessible in native languages, it helps reduce social exclusion and ensures that tribal people are not left behind in the digital revolution.
The Adi Vaani project is still in its beta phase, but its potential is enormous. As it expands and improves, it could become a model for similar projects in other countries with indigenous populations facing language barriers. If successful, it could lead to greater cultural inclusivity and more effective governance for India’s tribal communities.
The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China in 2025 brought together the heads of state of member countries to address a broad spectrum of issues, including security, economic cooperation, and global governance.
major outcomes:
The Tianjin Declaration strongly condemned terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack (a terrorist attack in India). It called for ending the cross-border movement of terrorists and opposed the use of extremist groups for mercenary purposes.
This highlights the SCO’s growing commitment to combating terrorism in the region, though challenges remain, particularly in dealing with states like Pakistan, which continues to harbor groups linked to terrorism.
Laos was accepted as a partner country, increasing the SCO's membership to 27 countries (10 members, including India, and 17 partners). This expansion reinforces the SCO’s geopolitical reach and strengthens its influence in Asia.
A Global Governance Initiative (GGI) was proposed, focusing on sovereign equality, multilateralism, and a just global order. The initiative aligns with India’s vision of "One Earth, One Family, One Future" and underscores the need for a more inclusive global system.
Member states also opposed unilateral coercive measures, including economic sanctions that contravene UN and WTO principles, signaling a preference for a more multipolar and decentralized world order.
The summit welcomed the UNGA resolution against the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, racism, and xenophobia, showing a commitment to fighting hate ideologies.
People-to-people engagement and mutual respect among member states were reaffirmed as important values to strengthen cultural and social ties.
The summit also condemned military actions in Gaza and Iran and called for inclusive governance in Afghanistan as essential for lasting peace in the region.
The summit emphasized stabilizing global trade, expanding bilateral trade and investment, and discussed the establishment of an SCO Development Bank to foster economic growth and cooperation among member states.
The SCO is becoming a significant force in reshaping global multilateralism.
With its growing membership (representing about 23% of global GDP and 42% of the world’s population), the SCO challenges traditional Western-led alliances.
The inclusion of countries like Turkey (a NATO member) as a dialogue partner shows the SCO's widening influence, giving space for the Global South to voice its concerns and resist outdated global frameworks.
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of SCO, based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, strengthens cooperation among member states against terrorism, extremism, and separatism.
It also fills the security void left by NATO, especially in regions like Afghanistan, where SCO mechanisms such as the Afghanistan Contact Group (ACG) play a role.
SCO fosters economic integration through initiatives like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port, improving trade connectivity between Central Asia and the broader world.
The SCO Business Council and Interbank Consortium are promoting multilateral economic projects.
India’s initiatives within the SCO (e.g., in start-ups, traditional medicine, Buddhist heritage, and digital inclusion) show its potential to foster people-to-people and civilisational ties beyond government interactions.
SCO advocates for UN reform and a more inclusive global governance system that challenges the dominance of post-World War II structures, pushing for a more democratic and multipolar world order.
While the SCO has considerable potential, it faces several challenges:
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is criticized for being ineffective in dealing with actual terrorist organizations. The inclusion of states like Pakistan, which has been linked to terrorism, undermines the organization’s credibility in the fight against extremism.
China and Russia often dominate decision-making, leaving Central Asian states feeling marginalized. The ideal of the “Shanghai Spirit” (which promotes equality and mutual respect) has often remained more rhetorical than practical.
Despite several agreements, intraregional trade within Central Asia remains low, and many economic initiatives, like the Transport Agreement, have not been effectively implemented. This limits the SCO’s ability to drive significant economic growth in the region.
The SCO has struggled to formalize cooperation in key areas like development, energy, and free trade. Its economic forums often function more as networking events than as decision-making bodies.
India has significant concerns about its role within the SCO:
China seeks to reshape the SCO as a China-led platform to promote its own geo-economic and strategic interests, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which India opposes—especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
India remains outside key connectivity projects like the BRI, limiting its economic influence within the SCO. This is compounded by China’s String of Pearls strategy, which includes naval bases in the Indian Ocean region, further complicating India’s regional security concerns.
The SCO is often seen as an anti-West bloc, primarily dominated by China, Russia, and now Iran. This creates a diplomatic challenge for India, as it must balance its strong ties with the US and its participation in forums like the QUAD.
Despite the efforts of the RATS, Pakistan continues to support cross-border terrorism, and India’s push to name Pakistan-based terrorist groups has been blocked by both China and Pakistan within the SCO.
India can manage its concerns and differences within the SCO by adopting a strategic multialignment approach:
India avoids rigid bloc politics, engaging in both Western-led (like the Quad, G20) and China-led (like SCO, BRICS) platforms. This reflects India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy and a multipolar world order.
India engages selectively in SCO initiatives (like RATS) and avoids commitments that threaten sovereignty, while prioritizing cooperation in non-sensitive sectors like renewable energy, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence.
India’s cooperation with Russia ensures it has an equal voice in the SCO, counterbalancing China’s dominance. Russia also acts as a bridge in India-China multilateral engagement.
While maintaining troop readiness along the LAC, India continues to pursue disengagement agreements (e.g., Depsang, Demchok) with China, aiming to reduce friction while keeping diplomatic channels open.
India uses the SCO and BRICS to influence Eurasian and Global South narratives while using platforms like the Quad and Indo-Pacific frameworks to counterbalance China’s assertiveness in the region.
The SCO continues to play a central role in shaping the global order, but India’s strategic engagement with the organization will remain key to balancing its national interests and promoting inclusive, multilateral cooperation.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has made a significant stride in India’s climate strategy by setting up the National Designated Authority (NDA) to implement a carbon emissions trading system under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (2015). This marks a key step in India’s efforts to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Article 6 provides a framework for international carbon markets and non-market approaches to promote global cooperation in addressing climate change. It allows countries to trade carbon credits, facilitating the transfer of finance and technology to developing nations.
It was finalized at COP29 in Baku (2024), making international carbon markets a key tool for reducing emissions and funding climate action in developing countries.
Under the Paris Agreement, India has committed to the following ambitious goals by 2030:
Reduce carbon intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels.
Achieve 50% of cumulative electricity capacity from non-fossil sources.
Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through afforestation and reforestation.
The National Designated Authority (NDA) is a pivotal body responsible for implementing carbon markets and helping India meet its climate targets.
Headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, the NDA is a 21-member committee.
It includes representatives from key ministries like External Affairs, Renewable Energy, NITI Aayog, and the Steel Ministry.
Project Approval: The NDA will recommend and approve projects eligible for carbon credit trading under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.
Carbon Credit Authorization: It will authorize the issuance of emission reduction units (ERUs) and ensure projects align with India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Climate Goal Alignment: The NDA will ensure that these projects contribute to India’s NDCs, particularly the goal to reduce carbon emissions intensity by 45% by 2030.
Carbon markets facilitate trading of carbon credits where each credit represents the reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of one ton of CO₂ or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Participants: Countries, businesses, and industries buy carbon credits to offset their emissions.
Incentives: The market incentivizes companies and governments to invest in sustainable projects and reduce emissions, fostering international cooperation.
Compliance Markets:
Legally binding markets created under frameworks like Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS).
Penalties for non-compliance.
Examples: EU ETS (2005), China ETS (2021).
Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs):
Operate outside mandatory regulations, driven by voluntary demand.
Participants include companies pursuing ESG goals, individuals offsetting their carbon footprints, and traders for resale profit.
India is transitioning to a market-based carbon trading system to reduce its carbon emissions. Here's how the process is evolving:
In July 2024, India adopted a Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) that emphasizes emission intensity rather than setting absolute emission caps.
Credit certificates will be issued to facilities that outperform benchmark emission intensity levels.
National Steering Committee for the Indian Carbon Market (NSCICM): This committee will guide the design and implementation of the carbon market.
Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): Promotes sustainable lifestyles to reduce carbon footprints.
Green Credit Program: Encourages participation from individuals and the private sector in emission-reduction projects.
The government is incentivizing industries to adopt low-carbon technologies, making it easier for them to participate in the carbon market and reduce emissions.
Alignment with Paris Agreement: The carbon trading system positions India to meet its NDC commitments under the Paris Agreement, supporting its goal to reduce emissions intensity by 45% by 2030.
Economic Incentives: By adopting market-based mechanisms, the carbon market will encourage private sector innovation while enabling industries to manage compliance costs.
Support for Net Zero: The carbon market will play a key role in helping India achieve its Net Zero 2070 commitment by scaling up market-driven climate action.
India’s establishment of the National Designated Authority (NDA) for implementing a carbon emissions trading system is a crucial step in meeting its Paris Agreement commitments. The move toward a carbon credit trading system aligns with India’s climate goals, including the reduction of carbon emissions intensity and the expansion of renewable energy. With the NDA overseeing projects, India is positioning itself to leverage carbon markets as both a tool for sustainable development and a driver of economic growth in a low-carbon future
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend various provisions across several central acts with the goal of decriminalizing offences and promoting trust-based governance. This bill is a continuation of reforms initiated under the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, aimed at simplifying compliance processes and making it easier to live and do business in India.
The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2025 builds upon the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which already decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts administered by 19 ministries.
The 2025 Bill expands this initiative to 16 additional Acts under the purview of 10 ministries.
The goal is to replace punitive, rigid compliance systems with rationalized, trust-based frameworks, reducing judicial burdens and creating a more enabling environment for businesses and citizens.
First-Time Contraventions:
For 76 offences under 10 Acts, the Bill proposes advisories or warnings for first-time violations, replacing immediate punishments or penalties.
Decriminalization of Minor Offences:
The Bill removes imprisonment clauses for minor or technical defaults in various acts like the Tea Act (1953) and Legal Metrology Act (2009).
These offences will now only attract monetary fines or warnings instead of jail terms.
Rationalization of Penalties:
Penalties are rationalized to be more proportionate to the offence and incremental for repeat violations. This ensures a fairer, more just system.
Adjudication Mechanism:
The Bill introduces an administrative adjudication mechanism, where designated officers can impose penalties, speeding up the resolution of cases and reducing judicial workload.
Automatic Revision of Fines:
Fines and penalties will automatically increase by 10% every three years, ensuring they remain relevant and effective without requiring frequent legislative amendments.
Process reforms are targeted changes to specific rules or procedures that improve operational efficiency in a given system.
Example: Changing how certain documentation is handled or simplifying compliance procedures.
Unlike structural reforms (e.g., GST, IBC), which transform the entire framework, process reforms are more micro-level adjustments that improve the functioning of existing systems.
Sustaining Economic Growth:
India’s status as the fastest-growing economy requires constant reforms to maintain momentum. Process reforms keep the wheels of progress turning while major structural changes are underway.
Ease of Doing Business, Living, and Science:
These reforms make it easier for citizens, businesses, and researchers by simplifying bureaucratic processes and reducing day-to-day inefficiencies.
Example: New procurement rules for scientific institutions make research activities more efficient.
Unblocking Bottlenecks and Delays:
Legacy inefficiencies, outdated rules, and slow service delivery often hinder progress. Process reforms aim to remove these barriers, enabling smoother interactions between citizens, businesses, and the government.
Enhancing Sectoral Competitiveness:
Reforms like the liberalization of telecom rules for Other Service Providers (OSPs) spurred growth in the IT and BPO sectors.
Encourages innovation, making sectors more competitive.
Reducing Corruption and Rent-Seeking:
By eliminating unnecessary steps, process reforms reduce corruption, making systems more transparent and less prone to arbitrary enforcement.
Institutionalizing Problem-Solving:
Continuous reforms foster a problem-solving mindset within government institutions, making them more responsive and agile.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT):
Digitization of welfare payments directly to beneficiaries reduced leakages and duplication, saving resources and improving delivery.
Voluntary Company Liquidation:
Streamlining processes has made voluntary liquidation quicker, reducing the timeline from 4 years to months.
Rationalization of Autonomous Bodies:
Merging or closing outdated bodies like the All India Handloom Board has created a more efficient administrative structure.
Government eMarketplace (GeM) Portal:
Increased transparency and reduced procurement costs by 15-20% through an online platform for government procurement.
Legal Metrology Amendments:
The Jan Vishwas Act of 2023 helped decriminalize minor violations in legal metrology, reducing harassment and rent-seeking.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 is part of India’s ongoing reform agenda aimed at transforming governance to be more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric. By focusing on decriminalization and rationalizing penalties, the Bill removes unnecessary barriers and makes compliance simpler for businesses and citizens alike. It also enhances India’s Ease of Doing Business and provides a much-needed boost to economic growth, positioning India as a dynamic, innovation-driven economy.
India’s External Affairs Minister recently called for a fair and representative global order during the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival. The statement highlights the growing need for reforms in the global governance system to make it more inclusive, equitable, and reflective of current geopolitical and economic realities.
Unequal Representation in Global Institutions:
Permanent Membership in UNSC: The P5 countries (China, France, Russia, UK, and US) hold permanent membership and veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which allows them to disproportionately influence decisions, sidelining the interests of non-permanent members.
This imbalance has led to the concentration of power in the hands of a few, leaving much of the world without a voice in global security matters.
Marginalization of the Global South:
The Global North (industrialized countries) controls disproportionate voting power in key global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). For instance, the United States has 16.49% of the voting power on the IMF Board, even though it represents only 4.22% of the world population.
This creates a power asymmetry where countries in the Global South (developing and underdeveloped nations) have limited influence over global financial decisions that affect their economies.
Ineffective Multilateralism:
Powerful nations often bypass multilateral forums (e.g., the United Nations, Paris Climate Agreement, World Health Organization (WHO)) to pursue their own national interests. This weakens the ability of these platforms to facilitate true global cooperation.
Example: The United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the WHO is a clear demonstration of how major powers undermine multilateralism.
Trade as an Instrument of Geopolitical Power:
Trade imbalances and the use of tariffs as geopolitical tools have further accentuated inequalities. For example, the US imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported from India, and the European Union introduced a carbon tax, which disproportionately affects developing nations with fewer resources to manage such policies.
Climate Change Inequities:
Developed countries, especially the United States, are responsible for 20% of all historical emissions, yet the consequences of climate change disproportionately affect countries in the Global South. For example, the Philippines faced a devastating heatwave in 2024, causing droughts and heat-related deaths—a direct result of global climate inequities.
Technology and Knowledge Divide:
Around 100 companies, primarily based in the US and China, control 40% of the world’s private investment in research and development (R&D). This concentration of power limits the Global South’s ability to access cutting-edge technologies, creating a divide that stifles innovation in developing nations.
To address these inequalities and create a more balanced global system, several steps can be taken:
Multilateral Reforms:
The G4 Ministers (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan) have been advocating for permanent UNSC seats, which would give developing nations a more direct role in global security governance.
Reforming international institutions like the UNSC, the IMF, and the World Bank is essential to ensure more equitable representation for emerging economies and the Global South.
Decolonizing Multilateralism:
Initiatives like the Voice of the Global South Summit, which India has championed, are essential in decolonizing global governance systems by ensuring that the voices of developing nations are heard and respected.
This approach focuses on creating a more inclusive global order, where all nations, regardless of size or economic strength, can have a say in global decision-making.
Implementing the Rio de Janeiro Declaration:
The Rio de Janeiro Declaration, adopted at the 17th BRICS Summit, calls for a restructuring of global institutions like the IMF, ensuring that they reflect current global realities and the sovereign interests of all nations.
It also advocates for inclusive AI governance, where countries in the Global South have a role in shaping the digital future.
Bridging the Digital & Technology Divide:
Promoting open-source, inclusive digital infrastructure is crucial to closing the technology gap. India’s model of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is already being showcased as a blueprint for the Global South.
By providing accessible digital platforms for education, healthcare, and governance, India is helping bridge the technology divide and fostering inclusive growth.
Climate Justice:
Strengthening frameworks like Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) will ensure that developed nations take responsibility for their historical emissions while supporting climate action in the Global South.
Climate justice should focus on fair distribution of responsibilities and resources to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on developing countries.
A fair global order requires the reformation of international institutions, equitable financing, and balanced cooperation between the Global North and Global South. As a growing power, India is positioning itself as a bridge between the two, advocating for reforms that ensure all nations, regardless of their economic or political stature, have a fair chance at contributing to and benefiting from the global system.
The Global South must be given a seat at the table, ensuring inclusive governance and just outcomes in all sectors, from climate change to technology and trade.
India’s efforts to decolonize multilateralism, promote inclusive digital governance, and fight for climate justice will play a critical role in shaping a more representative global order—one that is based on equity, cooperation, and mutual respect
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We provide offline, online and recorded lectures in the same amount.
Every aspirant is unique and the mentoring is customised according to the strengths and weaknesses of the aspirant.
In every Lecture. Director Sir will provide conceptual understanding with around 800 Mindmaps.
We provide you the best and Comprehensive content which comes directly or indirectly in UPSC Exam.
Offline/Online Class
