In the fast-paced world that we live in, newer words have been becoming a part of our vocabulary. How many of us used words like pandemic, quarantine, or AI in regular parlance up until a few years ago?
With climate change becoming a reality, the United Nations Foundation and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) have released a new dictionary called ‘India in Future Tense: 47 Words for 2047’. The dictionary looks at the environmental, tech, and societal challenges that the world is facing, and has terminology that will describe our evolving world going ahead. Here is a sample:
1. AI governance
Definition: Al governance refers to policies, processes, and national and global guiding frameworks that steer the use of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to safeguard and regulate their design and deployment.
Relevance for future India: Al is rapidly gaining prominence but currently has little mention in governance frameworks. India, during its presidency in the G20, agreed on the need to “pursue a pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach that maximises the benefits and takes into account the risks associated with the use of Al.” Moving forward, it’s essential to maintain this momentum to close the gap between innovation and policy.
2. Carbon handprint
Definition: The carbon handprint refers to the beneficial environmental impact achieved by an individual, organisation, product, or activity compared to a baseline. This impact is achieved through actions that either lower carbon emissions or boost carbon capture.
Relevance for future India: Promoting carbon handprint initiatives can inspire innovation, encourage investment in clean technologies, and support communities in adopting sustainable practices. Mission LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment), an Indian government-led movement, encourages citizens to take up sustainable ways of living.
3. 15-minute city
Definition: A 15-minute city places all essential services within a 15-minute radius of people residing anywhere in the city.
Relevance for future India: Indians spend on average over two hours daily on office commutes. Efficient urban planning systems are an urgent need, especially with research showing that 600 million people in India, almost half the population, will be living in urban centres by 2030.
4. Flox
Definition: Flox is a versatile, on-demand shared living space designed for remote workers, offering cutting-edge amenities that enhance well-being and efficiency. The word comes from a combination of ‘flex’ meaning flexibility and ‘ox’ indicating resilience.
Relevance for future India: Flox ecosystems have the potential to transform how the expanding remote workforce lives across India. It can either be integrated into organisational structures by private entities looking to build community-based organisations or taken up by local and state governments looking to promote up-and-coming townships among digital nomads.
5. Gender bonds
Definition: Gender bonds are social bonds that steer financing towards women-owned businesses or businesses aimed at reducing gender inequalities.
Relevance for future India: India has several schemes to promote investments in women-led MSMEs. Creation of gender bonds would complement this approach by earmarking specific funds for gender-focused projects.
6. Neuroqueer
Definition: Neuroqueer blends “neuro,” relating to neurological diversity, and “queer,” reflecting non-conformity with mainstream gender and sexuality constructs. It describes an approach and identity that embraces the intersection of neurodiversity and queer identities.
Relevance for future India: Research indicates that there is much convergence between neurodiverse individuals and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. India will need to develop inclusive policies and social support structures.
7. RoboCare
Definition: RoboCare includes advanced robotics and AI that provide personalised care to older adults and people with disabilities.
Relevance for future India: Investing in automated or Al-supported technologies for care functions could revolutionise India’s “hidden” care economy and help build essential care infrastructure, especially as India’s population begins to age.
8. Seasteads
Definition: Seasteads are floating, self-sustaining townships designed to adapt to rising sea levels. They provide alternative homes and use the ocean’s resources for sustenance.
Relevance for future India: It is projected that critical properties and road networks in Mumbai, Kochi, Mangalore,
Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram could be submerged by 2050 because of sea-level rise. Seasteads can help India’s coastal regions and help alleviate population density issues by creating new living spaces.
9. Yottabyte Era
Definition: The yottabyte era begins when global data usage reaches one yottabyte. One yottabyte is equivalent to 1,000 zettabytes, which is 1 million exabytes (EB).
Relevance for future India: In 2016, global internet traffic reached one zettabyte, ushering in the zettabyte era. Projections now indicate that the
Yottabyte era will arrive within the next one to two decades. India alone is expected to touch 1.5 billion internet users by 2029.
10. Zoonoses
Definition: Zoonoses are infectious diseases affecting humans with origin in animals. HIV, Ebola virus, and Covid-19 pandemic have zoonotic genesis.
Relevance for future India: The global temperature increase caused by climate change raises the likelihood of zoonotic outbreaks, as viruses and bacteria trapped in glaciers and permafrost may resurface and infect the global population. India is especially at risk for zoonotic outbreaks due to its geography.