my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Oct: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday launched a voice collection portal for the Garhwali, Kumaoni and Jaunsari folk languages under the Bhasha AI initiative, developed by the AI Strategic Engineering (AiSE) Foundation, at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office, here. The campaign commenced with a voice clip recorded by the Chief Minister in Kumaoni. The initiative aims to integrate Uttarakhand’s folk languages with artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve and promote them and encourage their use across digital platforms.
Appreciating the initiative of the AiSE Foundation, the Chief Minister said that our languages and dialects are an integral part of our identity. The use of modern technology is essential to preserve this identity and protect our folk arts, culture and traditions. He observed that the use of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly and its scope is expected to expand further in the future. Therefore, regional languages must also be developed in line with this technology so that Uttarakhand’s rich linguistic heritage can gain recognition at the global level.
The Chief Minister said that the state government’s endeavour is to ensure that people living in remote villages and areas can access information about government schemes in their own languages and communicate their concerns to the government with ease. For this, AI must be capable of accurately understanding local languages. He emphasised the need to develop an extensive repository of regional vocabulary and integrate the correct pronunciation and speaking styles of these languages into AI systems. This would enable AI to understand local dialects more effectively and provide people with accurate information in their own languages.
The Chief Minister noted that the pronunciation of the same word often varies across different regions of Uttarakhand. Uploading information through the portal will help AI understand local vocabulary, pronunciation and diverse speaking styles. Expressing confidence in the initiative, he said it would play an important role not only in preserving the state’s folk languages but also in connecting future generations with their folk arts, culture and traditions. He extended his best wishes to everyone associated with the initiative.
On the occasion, Padma Shri awardee and folk singer Pritam Bhartwan said that Uttarakhand’s folk languages embody a rich heritage of folk life, folk songs, Jagar traditions and cultural practices. The Jagar Academy will support the initiative in maintaining accurate pronunciation and preserving the authenticity of these languages.
AiSE Foundation founder Sachidanand Semwal explained that the Bhasha AI initiative is creating a repository of words and voice recordings in Garhwali, Kumaoni and Jaunsari. The objective is to enable AI-based technologies to communicate in these folk languages in the future.
Among those present on the occasion were Shakti Prasad Bhatt, Gajendra Nautiyal, Aniruddh Raithwan, Nidhi Semwal, Anil Godiyal, Dr JK Pandey, Dev Raturi and other dignitaries.
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