The bureaucracy is taking a long long time to understand that it serves the Constitution, and the Constitution serves the people. Sadly, we are blessed with an administration that thinks it was created to rule. Even when it reaches out (and we do applaud every effort to reach out), it does so from the paternalistic heights of power. <div>
<br></div><div>The best response to such an announcement is to redouble efforts to push the initiative discussed a long while back, on this list if I am not mistaken, to put up wikipages that explain each and every government procedure and rule. <br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 10:20 PM, Gautam John <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gautam@prathambooks.org">gautam@prathambooks.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<p>Not really a Wikipedia model, what?</p>
<p>Crying shame about the license.</p>
<p>Wondering if the Chapter and the Office can do anything? </p>
<p>Thank you. </p>
<p>Best, </p>
<p>Gautam <br>
(handheld) </p>
<div class="gmail_quote"><div><div></div><div class="h5">On Sep 2, 2011 10:00 PM, "Sohel Bohra" <<a href="mailto:sohelbohra@gmail.com" target="_blank">sohelbohra@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution">
> <a href="http://www.livemint.com/articles/2011/08/29214955/Govt-starts-website-to-explain.html?atype=tp" target="_blank">http://www.livemint.com/articles/2011/08/29214955/Govt-starts-website-to-explain.html?atype=tp</a><br>
> <br>> *Govt starts website to explain economic terms and concepts*<br>> Remya Nair<br>> <br>> The government has started Arthapedia, a website designed on the lines of<br>> Wikipedia, that will act as a source of reference for economic terms and<br>
> concepts used in the public policy domain in India.<br>> <br>> The website, an attempt by the government to bridge the gap between<br>> policymakers and the general public, was inaugurated on Monday by Planning<br>
> Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia as a part of the golden<br>> jubilee celebrations of the Indian Economic Service. It will cater to the<br>> requirements of academicians, economists, policy practitioners, journalists,<br>
> students and other interested parties, both within India and abroad.<br>> <br>> “The objective of this portal is to increase transparency in government by<br>> simplifying indigenous concepts or by introducing domestic institutions to<br>
> support the professional development of public policy economists,” the<br>> website says. “It is meant to enrich and enhance citizen-friendly policy<br>> formulation through dialogue and collaborative action.”<br>
> <br>> A finance ministry official involved in the designing of the website said<br>> government officials may frequently use some terminologies unique to India<br>> such as *panchayati raj* and flagship programmes, such as the Mahatma Gandhi<br>
> National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but their exact scope and<br>> meaning may not be well known to others. “The idea is to explain the meaning<br>> and relevance of the terms in the Indian context. Also, some terms may have<br>
> different meanings in different countries. It is important that the Indian<br>> context is explained,” she said.<br>> Besides explaining terms and concepts, the website will also offer detailed<br>> profiles of some of the key Indian policymakers. To begin with, the website<br>
> has uploaded five profiles—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; finance minister<br>> Pranab Mukherjee; C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council<br>> to the Prime Minister of India; Ahluwalia; and Reserve Bank of India<br>
> governor D. Subbarao.<br>> <br>> Users willing to upgrade the text and context of a particular word can open<br>> the text on a virtual mode and edit the same with authentic references. The<br>> edited content is posted after being moderated by the editorial board. In<br>
> the initial phase, however, only serving IES officers will be allowed to<br>> write the content of this website and non-IES persons can only post comments<br>> and queries for now.<br>> <br>> To be sure, the website has a disclaimer that says the government of India<br>
> does not monitor the entries and the views expressed therein are not<br>> necessarily those of the government. “The entries, therefore, must not be<br>> treated as official statements of policy or definitions”.<br>
> It will, however, take some time for the website to become a one-stop<br>> destination for all terms, concepts and profiles of eminent personalities.<br>> <br>> “Going ahead, the challenge will be to sustain the portal with constant<br>
> upgradation,” Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the finance ministry,<br>> said.<br>> <br>> <br>> -- <br>> <br>> Sohel Bohra<br></div></div>> Co-founder - WikifyIndia <<a href="http://www.wikifyindia.com/" target="_blank">http://www.wikifyindia.com/</a>><div class="im">
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