National Conclave on Tribal Languages and Museums Begins in Mysuru

National Conclave on Tribal Languages and Museums was launched in the Mysuru, Karnataka, on August 24, 2026, it is an initiative which aimed at to bring together the policymakers, linguists, scholars, technologists, and tribal members to focus on the conservation of Indian tribal languages and culture. It is organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute and the Central Institute of Indian Languages, and this three-day conference has seen the implementation of various technology-based initiatives.

Adi Vaani Platform and Jago AI Bot Launched

One of the key aspects of the conclave was the launch of the revamped Adi Vaani platform, which now comes with an iOS app and five new languages. A new logo for Adi Vaani has also been launched.

Another initiative that was launched was the official AI bot of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs – Jago. The AI bot has been designed to assist users in searching and accessing information about tribal welfare schemes, programs, initiatives and digital repositories from a single source.

These initiatives have been introduced with the purpose of making information more accessible while at the same time leveraging technology for the preservation and documentation of tribal languages.

Language Documentation MoU Signed Between MoTA and CIIL

MoTA and Central Institute of Indian Languages have signed an MoU related to language documentation and corpus building.

According to the MoU, the Central Institute of Indian Languages will collaborate with the Ministry by providing it with relevant data on tribal languages.

Release of Karnataka Tribal Language Primers

In addition to these, the conference saw the unveiling of Karnataka Primers in tribal languages. The Tribal Welfare Department of Karnataka and KSTRI have published Karnataka Class 1 Jenukuruba Primer which includes Kannada, Mathematics and Environmental Studies.

Educational material that was unveiled apart from primers include Sannivesha, Pragiti Nota and Thattegalu flashcards in an attempt to facilitate development of learning material for tribal children.

Technology Dominates

There was a technical panel named “Technology Meets Tribal Languages” on technologies like automatic speech recognition, text to speech, machine translation, corpus creation, keyboard and font developments.

Issues related to data protection, exploitation and commercialization of tribal linguistic knowledge were among those discussed. Live demo of translation based on audio recording taken at the registration booth demonstrated the use of technology in tribal language application.

Session on Multilingual Education and Language Revival

An additional panel deliberated on documentation, endangered nature and community-led revival, and issues pertaining to the current state of tribal languages and community-based efforts for language revival.

There was another session on multilingual education for tribal children with emphasis on teaching methodologies, curricula development, primers, dictionaries, teacher manuals and correlation between tribal-language skills and livelihood outcomes.

Four tribal research institutes based in Kerala, Odisha, Sikkim and Jharkhand shared their experiences and practices on language conservation.

Next Step of the Mysuru Conclave

The next day of the Mysuru conclave is August 25, 2026, and will deal with the issues and concerns of tribal communities with the signing of the Mysuru Declaration.

Additional sessions will be held on Tribal Freedom Fighter Museums (TFFM) with emphasis on strengthening this institution to document and showcase tribal contributions.