AI-powered tool, offering farmers help in their languages, goes live, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Bharat-VISTAAR in Jaipur, an AI-powered multilingual tool for farmers.
• Bharat-VISTAAR aims to provide farmers with information in their native languages via mobile or phone.
• The tool was announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 with an allocation of ₹150 crore.
• Farmers can access information on crop planning, weather, markets, schemes, and grievance redressal.

Detailed Insights:

• Bharat-VISTAAR is a Digital Public Infrastructure initiative that integrates information from central, state, and cooperative systems to offer personalized advice.
• The tool addresses the challenge of scattered information regarding government schemes, enabling farmers to easily determine eligibility, apply, and track benefits.
• Farmers can access Bharat-VISTAAR by dialing 155261 to interact with the AI Assistant ‘Bharati’, or through a dedicated app and web interface.
• Information on 10 major central schemes is available, including PM-KISAN, PMFBY, Soil Health Card, and Kisan Credit Card.
• The chatbot is initially available in English and Hindi, with voice assistance in Hindi and English, and regional language support being added in phases.
• In the next six months, it will be available in 11 languages including English, Hindi, and nine regional languages.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Digital Public Infrastructure: Shareable digital solutions that governments, the private sector, or civil society can use to solve societal problems.
• AI-powered multilingual tool: A technology that uses artificial intelligence to provide information and services in multiple languages.
• Government schemes: Programs initiated by the government to provide specific benefits or assistance to citizens.