CONTENTS

1. BharatGen
2. International Day of Older Persons 2024

BharatGen

Context:

Recently, the Ministry of Science & Technology launched BharatGen, a generative AI initiative designed to enhance public service delivery. 

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

BharatGen

• BharatGen is an initiative aimed at developing core models in the domains of language, speech, and computer vision, with a focus on India’s rich cultural and linguistic diversity.
• It stands as the world’s first government-supported project to create a Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) specifically for Indian languages.
• LLMs are advanced AI models that can comprehend and generate human languages by analyzing extensive text datasets.
• This initiative is spearheaded by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), working in collaboration with prestigious academic institutions, including several IITs and IIM Indore.
• A key focus of this project is on developing frameworks that curate India-specific datasets, giving the country greater control over its digital resources. The initiative has several defining features:
  • Development of multilingual and multimodal models,
  • Training based on datasets that reflect Indian languages and contexts,
  • A commitment to using an open-source platform,
  • Establishing a research ecosystem focused on generative AI within India.

International Day of Older Persons 2024

Context:

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment observed International Day of Older Persons 2024 on 1st October 2024.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

International Day of Older Persons 2024 Overview:

• Theme for 2024:
  • “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.”
• Purpose of the International Day of Older Persons:
  • This day honors the contributions of older adults to society and emphasizes the necessity for inclusive and age-friendly environments globally.
  • It was officially established by the UN General Assembly on 14th October 1990, drawing from the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing (1982) and the UN Principles for Older Persons.
• Global Commitments and Framework:
  • The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) supports Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3), which focuses on good health and well-being.
  • India established the National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) in 1999, and it is part of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002).
• Elderly Population Data:
  • As of December 2023, India has 153 million people aged 60 and above, with this figure expected to rise to 347 million by 2050, representing 20.8% of the nation’s total population.
  • Globally, the population of older persons increased from 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021, with projections indicating this will rise to 17% of the total global population by 2050.