http://www.livemint.com/articles/2011/08/29214955/Govt-starts-website-to-exp...
*Govt starts website to explain economic terms and concepts* Remya Nair
The government has started Arthapedia, a website designed on the lines of Wikipedia, that will act as a source of reference for economic terms and concepts used in the public policy domain in India.
The website, an attempt by the government to bridge the gap between policymakers and the general public, was inaugurated on Monday by Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Indian Economic Service. It will cater to the requirements of academicians, economists, policy practitioners, journalists, students and other interested parties, both within India and abroad.
“The objective of this portal is to increase transparency in government by simplifying indigenous concepts or by introducing domestic institutions to support the professional development of public policy economists,” the website says. “It is meant to enrich and enhance citizen-friendly policy formulation through dialogue and collaborative action.”
A finance ministry official involved in the designing of the website said government officials may frequently use some terminologies unique to India such as *panchayati raj* and flagship programmes, such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but their exact scope and meaning may not be well known to others. “The idea is to explain the meaning and relevance of the terms in the Indian context. Also, some terms may have different meanings in different countries. It is important that the Indian context is explained,” she said. Besides explaining terms and concepts, the website will also offer detailed profiles of some of the key Indian policymakers. To begin with, the website has uploaded five profiles—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; finance minister Pranab Mukherjee; C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India; Ahluwalia; and Reserve Bank of India governor D. Subbarao.
Users willing to upgrade the text and context of a particular word can open the text on a virtual mode and edit the same with authentic references. The edited content is posted after being moderated by the editorial board. In the initial phase, however, only serving IES officers will be allowed to write the content of this website and non-IES persons can only post comments and queries for now.
To be sure, the website has a disclaimer that says the government of India does not monitor the entries and the views expressed therein are not necessarily those of the government. “The entries, therefore, must not be treated as official statements of policy or definitions”. It will, however, take some time for the website to become a one-stop destination for all terms, concepts and profiles of eminent personalities.
“Going ahead, the challenge will be to sustain the portal with constant upgradation,” Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the finance ministry, said.
Not really a Wikipedia model, what?
Crying shame about the license.
Wondering if the Chapter and the Office can do anything?
Thank you.
Best,
Gautam (handheld) On Sep 2, 2011 10:00 PM, "Sohel Bohra" sohelbohra@gmail.com wrote:
http://www.livemint.com/articles/2011/08/29214955/Govt-starts-website-to-exp...
*Govt starts website to explain economic terms and concepts* Remya Nair
The government has started Arthapedia, a website designed on the lines of Wikipedia, that will act as a source of reference for economic terms and concepts used in the public policy domain in India.
The website, an attempt by the government to bridge the gap between policymakers and the general public, was inaugurated on Monday by Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia as a part of the
golden
jubilee celebrations of the Indian Economic Service. It will cater to the requirements of academicians, economists, policy practitioners,
journalists,
students and other interested parties, both within India and abroad.
“The objective of this portal is to increase transparency in government by simplifying indigenous concepts or by introducing domestic institutions to support the professional development of public policy economists,” the website says. “It is meant to enrich and enhance citizen-friendly policy formulation through dialogue and collaborative action.”
A finance ministry official involved in the designing of the website said government officials may frequently use some terminologies unique to India such as *panchayati raj* and flagship programmes, such as the Mahatma
Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but their exact scope and meaning may not be well known to others. “The idea is to explain the
meaning
and relevance of the terms in the Indian context. Also, some terms may
have
different meanings in different countries. It is important that the Indian context is explained,” she said. Besides explaining terms and concepts, the website will also offer
detailed
profiles of some of the key Indian policymakers. To begin with, the
website
has uploaded five profiles—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; finance minister Pranab Mukherjee; C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India; Ahluwalia; and Reserve Bank of India governor D. Subbarao.
Users willing to upgrade the text and context of a particular word can
open
the text on a virtual mode and edit the same with authentic references.
The
edited content is posted after being moderated by the editorial board. In the initial phase, however, only serving IES officers will be allowed to write the content of this website and non-IES persons can only post
comments
and queries for now.
To be sure, the website has a disclaimer that says the government of India does not monitor the entries and the views expressed therein are not necessarily those of the government. “The entries, therefore, must not be treated as official statements of policy or definitions”. It will, however, take some time for the website to become a one-stop destination for all terms, concepts and profiles of eminent personalities.
“Going ahead, the challenge will be to sustain the portal with constant upgradation,” Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the finance
ministry,
said.
--
Sohel Bohra Co-founder - WikifyIndia http://www.wikifyindia.com/ +91-95038 48386 sohel@wikifyindia.com Twitter http://twitter.com/#%21/WikifyIndia | Facebook<
http://www.facebook.com/mobileprotection#%21/pages/WikifyIndia/2061080427616...
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.
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.
On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 10:20 PM, Gautam John gautam@prathambooks.orgwrote:
Not really a Wikipedia model, what?
Crying shame about the license.
Wondering if the Chapter and the Office can do anything?
Thank you.
Best,
Gautam (handheld) On Sep 2, 2011 10:00 PM, "Sohel Bohra" sohelbohra@gmail.com wrote:
http://www.livemint.com/articles/2011/08/29214955/Govt-starts-website-to-exp...
*Govt starts website to explain economic terms and concepts* Remya Nair
The government has started Arthapedia, a website designed on the lines of Wikipedia, that will act as a source of reference for economic terms and concepts used in the public policy domain in India.
The website, an attempt by the government to bridge the gap between policymakers and the general public, was inaugurated on Monday by
Planning
Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia as a part of the
golden
jubilee celebrations of the Indian Economic Service. It will cater to the requirements of academicians, economists, policy practitioners,
journalists,
students and other interested parties, both within India and abroad.
“The objective of this portal is to increase transparency in government
by
simplifying indigenous concepts or by introducing domestic institutions
to
support the professional development of public policy economists,” the website says. “It is meant to enrich and enhance citizen-friendly policy formulation through dialogue and collaborative action.”
A finance ministry official involved in the designing of the website said government officials may frequently use some terminologies unique to
India
such as *panchayati raj* and flagship programmes, such as the Mahatma
Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but their exact scope and meaning may not be well known to others. “The idea is to explain the
meaning
and relevance of the terms in the Indian context. Also, some terms may
have
different meanings in different countries. It is important that the
Indian
context is explained,” she said. Besides explaining terms and concepts, the website will also offer
detailed
profiles of some of the key Indian policymakers. To begin with, the
website
has uploaded five profiles—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; finance
minister
Pranab Mukherjee; C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Economic Advisory
Council
to the Prime Minister of India; Ahluwalia; and Reserve Bank of India governor D. Subbarao.
Users willing to upgrade the text and context of a particular word can
open
the text on a virtual mode and edit the same with authentic references.
The
edited content is posted after being moderated by the editorial board. In the initial phase, however, only serving IES officers will be allowed to write the content of this website and non-IES persons can only post
comments
and queries for now.
To be sure, the website has a disclaimer that says the government of
India
does not monitor the entries and the views expressed therein are not necessarily those of the government. “The entries, therefore, must not be treated as official statements of policy or definitions”. It will, however, take some time for the website to become a one-stop destination for all terms, concepts and profiles of eminent
personalities.
“Going ahead, the challenge will be to sustain the portal with constant upgradation,” Kaushik Basu, chief economic adviser in the finance
ministry,
said.
--
Sohel Bohra Co-founder - WikifyIndia http://www.wikifyindia.com/
+91-95038 48386 sohel@wikifyindia.com Twitter http://twitter.com/#%21/WikifyIndia | Facebook<
http://www.facebook.com/mobileprotection#%21/pages/WikifyIndia/2061080427616...
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
On 3 September 2011 09:32, Vickram Crishna vvcrishna@radiophony.com wrote:
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.
And that is Sohel's initiative!
Thank you.
Best,
Gautam ________ http://blog.prathambooks.org/p/social-media.html
FYI: Arthapedia is available at arthapedia.in
Yours sincerely,
Anirudh Bhati
+855 975 529 803 Skype: anirudhsbh
On Sat, Sep 3, 2011 at 12:49 PM, Gautam John gautam@prathambooks.orgwrote:
On 3 September 2011 09:32, Vickram Crishna vvcrishna@radiophony.com wrote:
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.
And that is Sohel's initiative!
Thank you.
Best,
Gautam ________ http://blog.prathambooks.org/p/social-media.html
Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 22:20, Gautam John gautam@prathambooks.org wrote:
Not really a Wikipedia model, what?
Crying shame about the license.
Only valid concern is about license, but then if its about bridging the gap between policymakers and general public, I feel it will be yet another "tam-tam" site from govt and will have no encyclopedia content. We could still use the content as RS since it comes from govt.
Wondering if the Chapter and the Office can do anything?
FYI: Arthapedia is available at arthapedia.in
I dont think there is a room for involvement since the goals are not even intersecting except that they use Mediawiki. Looking at the site, an academy about how to put Wiki texts(syntax), making successful Interlinked content can be given a shot, but then it will help only their project and public over all and may be a fraction of them editing Wikipedia. Currently they are just copy pasting documents without interlinking. Some Mediawiki help(tips/advice) too can be given.
On Sat, Sep 3, 2011 at 11:43 AM, Srikanth Lakshmanan srik.lak@gmail.comwrote:
On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 22:20, Gautam John gautam@prathambooks.org wrote:
Not really a Wikipedia model, what?
Crying shame about the license.
Only valid concern is about license, but then if its about bridging the gap between policymakers and general public, I feel it will be yet another "tam-tam" site from govt and will have no encyclopedia content. We could still use the content as RS since it comes from govt.
Wondering if the Chapter and the Office can do anything?
Perhaps the Chapter can offer to conduct training programs for government servants in all states (cascading model) to upload and maintain information on government procedures and processes. It could be a steady source of income for the Trust.
What is also needed is information on what we might call 'ground reality' processes. For instance, when the information asked for in the form etc does not match the information actually needed by the officer concerned, or at least claimed to be needed. For obvious reasons, such processes cannot be authenticated with references to official documents, yet it is precisely these that are needed by ordinary applicants, who are otherwise driven to the arms of pimps (ie, consultants). The arthapedia site will also necessarily fail in this respect, so either wikifyindia or Wikipedia itself must provide a meaningful solution.
FYI: Arthapedia is available at arthapedia.in
I dont think there is a room for involvement since the goals are not even intersecting except that they use Mediawiki. Looking at the site, an academy about how to put Wiki texts(syntax), making successful Interlinked content can be given a shot, but then it will help only their project and public over all and may be a fraction of them editing Wikipedia. Currently they are just copy pasting documents without interlinking. Some Mediawiki help(tips/advice) too can be given.
-- Regards Srikanth.L
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