I assume you are asking about the rational behind hiring Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana as a Consultant Adviser to the A2K team. As many of you on the list may not know, Tejaswini was one of the potential applicants for the position the Programme Director, Access to Knowledge. She had even made it to the short-list of candidates who were interviewed. In fact her interview happened the same day as mine at CIS. However, the interview panel felt that she is too senior and over qualified for the position, but wanted to keep her associated with the Wiki-movement in India. Then the interview panel suggested that we look at taking her as an Consultant Adviser. CIS (i.e. Sunil) went back to the WMF about this recommendation by the interview panel and the WMF accepted it, as uniformly it was felt that she would add tremendous value to the Wiki-movement in India.

I personally think that Tejaswini brings with her wealth of experience and professional expertise of working in the sector of Indian Languages in Higher Education. In addition to this she has multiple research institutional contacts and networks, which will potentially add value to the Indian Language Wikipedias and contribute to the expansion of editors and content. I was told that she has already played an instrumental role in facilitating two outreach workshops to researchers and college students in Mumbai and Ahmadnagar, to which some of our Wikipedians friends have gone. I think we should all concur with the strategic decision taken by the interview panel, which I am quite sure will benefit us and the movement. You can find her brief profile here.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana to the Wiki-movement in India. I have taken the liberty to coy her on this mail.

Best regards,
Vishnu