PIB Summary- 7th October, 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

BharatGen

Context

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

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.

International Day of Older Persons 2024 Overview:

• “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.